Lazy Giant #44: Caitlin Clark is heating up the Indiana Fever and WNBA
She hasn't played a single game yet, but she's already a super-star.
In a city where two young faces – Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Richardson – are the face of their franchises, Pacers and Colts, respectively, there’s a star coming to town that’s bigger than both of them.
Her name: Caitlin Clark.
Her rookie season might be the most anticipated rookie season in Indianapolis since Peyton Manning came to town.
In the world of sports, this isn’t supposed to happen. Male athletes get the recognition, stories, and money. NFL is king in America, and in basketball, the NBA gathers more attention than the much younger WNBA.
The tide is now changing and Clark is leading the way. Her style of basketball is electric, and she plays with a refreshing mix of eye-popping passing and scoring.
She’s started a new wave of interest in women’s basketball, as showcased by the eyeballs watching the NCAAW tournament and WNBA draft. Both events set records for number of viewers, with the NCAAW championship gathering more viewers than the men’s championship game.
The Indiana Fever were lucky enough to have the no. 1 pick in the draft, something this city is familiar with – the Colts selected Peyton Manning no. 1 in 1998 and Andrew Luck at no. 1 in 2012. It’s funny what one pick can do for your team, or city.
If you live in Indianapolis, can you feel it? The anticipation, the awe of having the chance to watch Caitlin Clark every summer.
The Fever are about to find out what a pick like this can do. Actually, they already have found out, with ticket prices skyrocketing and opponents having to upgrade their venues in terms of seating in anticipation of Clark visiting their city.
Don’t forget, the Fever already have an all-star on their team: Aliyah Boston. The former no. 1 pick was the 2023 WNBA rookie of the year and a starter on the all-star team, the first rookie to do so since 2014.
She’s a stud and a force in the paint, and now she will presumably have more room to work as Clark garners attention from defenders behind the arc. Sounds like a great one-two punch for the Fever.
Indiana feels like a perfect fit for Clark. She’s from the midwest – Des Moines, Iowa – and wants to stay in the midwest. She said she hoped Indiana got the first pick. Though the WNBA is young – the first season was in 1997 – Indiana is the basketball state and the Fever has hall-of-famers Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglass in their history.
“Like I said, after I got drafted, I can’t think of a better place for myself to start my career,” Clark said. “A place that loves basketball, supports women’s basketball, and an organization that really does things the right way, has championship pedigree, so I’m just very thankful that they have a belief in me.”
Oh, and in other news, Clark is probably going to have an eight-figure deal with Nike. Not six, not seven, EIGHT. Sheesh.
I’ll be the first to admit that my interest in women’s sports, specifically women’s basketball, has lacked. Now, it’s at an all-time high with a super-star coming to town.
In the grand scheme of things, the WNBA hasn’t been around that long. Title IX wasn’t a law until 1972 – which essentially gave equal access to women’s sports.
For context, the NFL began in 1920 and the NBA started in 1946.
The WNBA is young and now growing, and it feels evident we’ll look back at this moment as a pivotal point for the league. They’re already planning to expand to 16 teams. It’s having a moment, as it should.
Other exciting new talent via this year’s draft includes Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, and Aaliyah Edwards. There’s more big names coming in the future, too. UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins are elite, exciting players.
The best part about this, too is the camaraderie and unselfishness they’re all showing as the sport continues to grow. There’s a fierce competitiveness on the court, but when they’re questioned about the game growing, we’ve seen humble, mature answers.
“I think it’s more important for the game to share the spotlight to grow the game, to show all the stars of college basketball and not just focus on one particular player,” Bueckers said. “I honestly hope next year I’m not the focal point and the only person that gets attention. I hope as media, as players, we can spread the love a little bit more.”
In an interview, Watkins was praised for her scoring ability and the interviewer said, “Caitlin Clark who?” With Watkins in response giving respect to Clark.
They don’t want to be pitted against each other – they want the spotlight to shine on everyone.
Caitlin Clark didn’t ask for it, but now she’s the face of it. It feels surreal! Our city gets to welcome one of the hottest names in sports right now. Heck, she made a quick appearance on SNL before the draft.
I partially feel sad for not paying more attention prior to now. On the other hand, things are looking up for the WNBA and women’s basketball in general, and I’m ecstatic for them and the ascension occurring.
While it’s starting with Clark, I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. As the game grows, more talent will be pulled in, more game-changing players, and more interest in the sport.
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That’s it! Happy weekend 🎉