Caitlin Clark has been a one-woman wrecking crew, dragging the WNBA into the spotlight with the kind of force that makes meteorologists panic. She came into the league with more hype than a Marvel movie trailer and somehow exceeded it. In one season, she didn’t just raise the bar—she chucked it into the stratosphere.
Naturally, the world noticed. TIME Magazine crowned her “Athlete of the Year,” a title that’s well-earned if WNBA viewership stats mean anything. But not everyone was thrilled about Clark’s moment in the sun. Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson had other ideas, arguing that the entire league should’ve gotten the accolade instead.
Here’s what Johnson had to say about TIME’s choice:
“It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the point where we are now, and this year, something clicked… It’s just not Caitlin Clark. It’s (Angel) Reese. We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized… Why couldn’t they have put the whole WNBA on that cover?”
Oh, Sheila. Why not just hand out participation trophies while we’re at it?
Fox Sports analyst Aaron Torres wasn’t having any of it. He came out swinging harder than a drunk uncle at Thanksgiving dinner:
“NBA owners didn’t complain when Michael Jordan 10x’ed the value of their franchises,” Torres wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter because apparently, we needed to rename the bird app). “Other fighters didn’t complain when Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather got everyone paid. The people who are running the WNBA are certifiably insane. They really are.”
Torres has a point. Clark’s impact isn’t just anecdotal; it’s measurable. WNBA ratings hit record highs when Clark took the court, with fan attendance soaring like a balloon on a windy day. But when her Indiana Fever exited the playoffs, the ratings deflated faster than a bad soufflé.
Caitlin Clark: The GOAT Whisperer
Clark, for her part, has been dodging drama like a seasoned PR pro. Instead of engaging in the debate, she’s busy declaring LeBron James as the greatest basketball player of all time.
“It’s been cool to just see his support of myself and the ‘W’ overall. I mean, he is the greatest basketball player of all time, so I think that’s pretty cool,” Clark told TIME Magazine.
Clark’s humility might make her the anti-MJ, but her game says otherwise. Whether or not you think LeBron is the GOAT, it’s hard to deny that Clark is carving out her own legendary path—one three-pointer and record-breaking stat line at a time.
Final Thoughts: WNBA’s Star Power Problem
If Caitlin Clark can bring this much heat to the WNBA in just one season, imagine what she could do with a little more backing from, oh, I don’t know, her own league’s leadership? Instead of complaining about her success, maybe it’s time for WNBA owners to lean into it. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats—or in this case, all franchises.
So here’s a thought: instead of nitpicking who gets the glory, let’s all just enjoy the show. Because if Clark’s first season is any indication, we’re witnessing the birth of something special. And if that bothers some folks, well, maybe they just need a better view from the cheap seats.
