The 2024 WNBA season was historic for several reasons, including viewership records and the New York Liberty winning the first championship in franchise history. One player in particular largely contributed to bringing new eyes to the league after she was selected No. 1 overall in May.
Caitlin Clark became a household name at Iowa. Non-Hawkeyes fans tuned into Clark's games to watch her break new records or see her pull up from beyond the three-point line. Many fans followed her to the WNBA and rooted for the Fever. Ticket demand skyrocketed for Indiana games to the point where opposing teams held their home games against the Fever in larger venues.
One of the teams that did so was the Washington Mystics, who play at Entertainment & Sports Arena in D.C. The Mystics moved their June 7 game versus the Fever to Capital One Arena, home of the Wizards. Washington said the reasoning was because of "unprecedented demand," and the organization wanted to "afford more people the opportunity to see this game in person. The Sept. 19 matchup between the two teams was also played at Capital One.
The Fever were the hottest ticket in the WNBA because of Clark. That statement isn't a slight to any other player in the league. It's simply the truth. Clark's popularity led to her being named the 2024 TIME Athlete of the Year.
Caitlin Clark: “I've been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women's sports, let alone women's basketball, and turn them into fans” https://t.co/beoQbLth8F
— TIME (@TIME) December 10, 2024
Mystics co-owner downplays Caitlin Clark being named TIME Athlete of the Year
CNN Sport interviewed Washington co-owner Sheila Johnson, who discussed Clark being the first WNBA player to win TIME Athlete of the Year. Johnson said the honor should've gone to the league as a whole rather than one player. She added that "something clicked with the WNBA" this past season and that Clark wasn't the sole reason for that.
"We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can pin it on just one player"
— CNN Sports (@cnnsport) December 13, 2024
Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson speaks to @AmandaDCNN about TIME's decision to name Caitlin Clark "Athlete of the Year": https://t.co/nQL7NXosv7 pic.twitter.com/HjBjf0nlgX
You can admit that Clark generated a lot of attention and brought new fans to the league in 2024 while acknowledging that there are many other exceptional WNBA players, like A'ja Wilson, who won her third MVP award.
Admitting that the Caitlin Clark effect is real doesn't detract from what other players have accomplished. It's hard to dispute the facts. After all, Johnson's team moved its games against the Fever to a larger location because of Clark. How can you deny her impact?
In her TIME interview, Clark acknowledged her white privilege and noted that Black women shaped the WNBA into what it is today. She called for brands and companies to invest in Black women. The league must do a better job promoting its high-profile players who are not named Clark.
The goal is to continue growing the game. Clark's arrival to the WNBA in 2024 helped tremendously with that, and there's no disputing that.