Adam Silver reveals completely honest thoughts on Caitlin Clark's impact

Caitlin Clark captivated the entire sports world in 2024. The Indiana Fever star even caught the attention of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who commented on Clark's impact during a Monday appearance on FanDuel Sports Network, via Scott Horner of indystar.com.

"Caitlin Clark set the world on fire, not just this community," Silver said. "People are seeing how deep this league is. I jokingly said this league is a 28-year overnight sensation."

Clark, 22, enjoyed a strong rookie season. The Fever believe in her potential without question. Clark can take another step forward during the 2025 season. Clark already enjoyed one of the greatest rookie seasons in WNBA history, though.

Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per outing in 2024. She also shot 41.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent on her three-point attempts.

Clark's impact was crucial this past season. Sure, she played well and recorded respectable numbers. However, the hype that she developed in college followed her to the WNBA. The league saw eye-opening increases in attendance and viewership numbers with rookies such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese drawing more attention.

The WNBA is in a quality position. Of course, the NBA wants the WNBA to do well, so Silver is surely excited to see the growth of the league. Between expansion and increasing popularity, the WNBA is trending in a tremendous direction.

Adam Silver's comments on Caitlin Clark

Silver said Clark "set the world on fire." Her popularity has been consistently growing ever since her days at Iowa.

Clark drew plenty of attention while playing for Iowa women's basketball. Her long-range three-point shooting and all-around impressive play caught the attention of fans. It became clear that Clark was emerging as a star.

In 2024, Clark established herself as the expected No. 1 overall draft pick following a historic college basketball career. The Fever ultimately selected Clark first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

The decision immediately paid off in multiple ways. Indiana reached the postseason and their attendance numbers increased dramatically.

Clark is hoping for another big season in 2025. Expectations will be extremely high, which means Clark will deal with plenty of pressure. She will have the advantage of already playing a full WNBA season, however, so Clark will be ready for the '25 campaign.

At the moment, though, Caitlin Clark is focused on continuing to improve in the offseason.