The impact that Caitlin Clark has made on the WNBA is pretty undeniable, but one former ESPN star doesn’t think the league needs her to remain successful.
It’s impossible to ignore the impact that Clark had on the WNBA, given just how much the league surged in popularity immediately after she entered the league in 2024. That new popularity has already paid dividends for the players who saw massive pay increases following the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.
But despite what Clark has meant to the league up to this point, former ESPN broadcaster Ros Gold-Onwude seems to think that the WNBA would continue to thrive even without her.
During the latest episode of Court Vision, former WNBA superstar Angel McCoughtry questioned whether or not the WNBA would be able to survive without stars like Clark, Angel Reese, A’Ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and other big names. Gold-Onwude seems to think that the league would be just fine.
While Gold-Onwude acknowledged Clark’s role in bringing new fans to the league, she does not think it needs her to remain successful, arguing that “business is booming” even when she isn’t playing.
“It’s possible to say both of these things: I do think that Caitlin Clark and the boom of attention that was around her coming out of college brought a ton of new fans to the W and for that (she) deserves a lot of credit. But I think a lot of those fans were converted. They got here and they became Indiana Fever fans, because that team was really special – even without her – or WNBA fans,” Gold-Onwude said.
“The ratings continue to be through the freaking roof. Business is booming. Everything is up. It’s definitely not ONLY because of Caitlin Clark. Like, there’s so much more going on in the W. Women’s basketball, in my opinion, is much bigger than any one or two players…” Gold-Onwude continued.
While there is some merit to her argument, considering the league’s growth has not been centered purely around Clark or the Fever, it’s still quite clear that Clark means a lot to the league. As Lisa Leslie said recently, “this is a money business, and the money is about Caitlin Clark.”
“Never in the history of the WNBA, have we had a player force teams to get into larger arenas. I’ve never seen that happen. If you’re the GM, you’re obviously supposed to be bringing in money. That’s revenue. I’m going with Caitlin Clark,” she said earlier this month.
The league may very well be able to survive without Clark, but it’s safe to say that the WNBA would prefer to never have to find that out.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.