The biggest WNBA star is also bigger than most NBA stars.
Well, that’s according to NBA analyst and podcast host Bill Simmons who took to his show to ignite another WNBA-NBA debate by ranking where Caitlin Clark might sit amongst NBA athletes.
Caitlin Clark is one of the biggest American athletes[/caption]
Clark rose to fame during her college years at Iowa, her signature threes and playstyle went viral along with her rivalry with fellow WNBA rookie Angel Reese contributing to the league’s record-breaking success this last season.
Simmons made comparisons with Clark to under-30 NBA stars like Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Is Caitlin Clark a bigger under-30 star than any other under-30 star in the NBA? … I don’t even think that’s a debate,” Simmons said in conversation with author Chuck Klosterman.
“I literally did not care about women’s college basketball 10 years ago in any way, shape or form. So I think some things have moved towards, just the quality of play is more fun to watch.
Pointing to how the WNBA has shattered records with TV viewership and league attendance sky-rocketing in the most recent WNBA season that saw Clark make her debut.
“She seems to be some sort of catalyst that is like before and after and now we’re in the after,” he added.”
Such a claim has proven to be controversial with people on social media reacting to it by pointing to the fact that the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic are all under 30.
There are 445 NBA players under 30 and for Simmons, Clark leads all of them in terms of notoriety.
Simmons also made the point that the fact women’s college basketball allows its player to become stars more quicker than men’s college basketball.
“You have this history with these women’s players in college for three years, you kind of have a sense of their game. So when they come to the WNBA, you know what they can do,” Simmons continued.
Clark became one of the highest-ever paid WNBA rookies helped by the fact she was already a household name by the time she made her debut in the league earlier this year.
The 22-year-old along with Angel Reese set the record for the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time back in 2023 during the NCAA Women’s Basketball final.
An audience that peaked at 24 million and averaged 18 million meant the final outperformed the 2023 and 2024 NBA finals along with any men’s NCAA basketball game.
Clark will play her second season of basketball in May for the Indiana Fever after appearing to pass on a mouth-watering deal to play in the inaugural Unrivalled League with her fellow stars like Reese.
The financials of the proposed which reportedly exceed $1 million for the eight-week tournament point towards the stardom and stature of Clark and her place amongst American athletes.
The league has said a place will always be available to her, but so far Clark has remained quiet and has instead focused on playing golf in her offseason.