For decades, the WNBA has been the punchline of too many jokes, with armchair critics tossing out snarky lines like “they can’t even dunk.” Apparently, no one told those people that basketball isn’t a dunk contest. But guess who finally made the skeptics choke on their nachos and rethink their misguided opinions? None other than Caitlin Clark, the three-point superhero who silenced the doubters with range deeper than anyone saw coming.
Four-time WNBA champion and living legend Sue Bird, who knows a thing or two about shutting people up with skill, gave Clark her flowers recently on The Deal podcast with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. Bird didn’t just credit Clark for being great—she credited her for being the antidote to the years of ridicule the league faced.
“We (the WNBA) were the butt of the jokes, and it was really hard to break through,” Bird said, echoing the frustration of anyone who’s ever had to listen to people compare WNBA players to their NBA counterparts like it’s even a fair comparison. Bird graciously acknowledged that the WNBA has had its “moments”—like when Kobe Bryant wore a WNBA hoodie, instantly boosting street cred—but Caitlin Clark? She wasn’t just a moment; she was a movement.
“All of a sudden, this player named Caitlin Clark comes,” Bird continued. “The fire was already burning, but Caitlin didn’t just stoke the flames—she poured gasoline all over that thing.” Imagine Clark running onto the court, gas can in hand, dousing the fire and walking away like an action hero as the league’s popularity exploded. Her secret weapon? Not just shooting threes—shooting logo threes. And suddenly, dunking became so last decade.
The real game-changer came when Clark started hitting threes from distances that even made Steph Curry and Damian Lillard go, “Wait, what?” In fact, according to Stat Mamba, Clark’s average shot distance during her rookie year was a staggering 28.09 feet—farther than the best averages of Curry, Lillard, and Trae Young. Yes, you read that right. Caitlin Clark, the rookie, outshot the reigning kings of the deep three. Somewhere, a group of NBA fans just spilled their beer.
Sure, Clark didn’t have a perfect shooting season. She averaged a respectable 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-high 8.4 assists. And sure, her shooting percentage could’ve been better at 41.1%, including 34.4% from deep. But hey, she was just getting started. Even Superman needed to learn how to fly. Her performance improved as the season progressed, proving that she wasn’t just adjusting to the league—she was preparing to dominate it.
In case you need more proof that Clark is rewriting the WNBA’s script, consider this: viewership for the league hit a 24-year high during her rookie campaign, while attendance soared to levels not seen in over two decades. It’s almost as if when Clark starts launching from the parking lot, people can’t help but tune in.
And let’s not forget the hardware. Clark walked away with the Rookie of the Year award in a near-unanimous vote, snagging 66 out of 67 votes. (Who was that one person who didn’t vote for her? We need names.) She even finished fourth in the MVP race, right behind WNBA megastars A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart.
Clark isn’t just a player; she’s the walking, shooting, deep-range proof that the WNBA deserves every bit of the respect it’s finally getting. The days of dismissing the league because of “no dunks” are over. Now, it’s about logo threes, crazy assists, and jaw-dropping talent. So, if you’re still mocking the WNBA in 2024, you might want to check your calendar—it’s not 1997 anymore. Caitlin Clark just made sure of that.
