The WNBA struggled to capitalize on its momentum last season following a series of injuries to Caitlin Clark. In total, Clark played just 13 games. League partners are banking on her return this season, which tips off Friday night. The Indiana Fever will become the first WNBA team in history to have all 44 regular-season games aired nationally.
On the surface, the unprecedented TV schedule suggests the WNBA is ready to embrace Clark as its biggest star. Whether it and the players actually follow through is another question.
Though it drew less attention in 2025 because of Clark’s limited playing time, the other players continued to target, bully, subtweet and harass her. Many have convinced themselves that Clark is only popular because she is a straight White woman in a league full of Black LGBTQ women.
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The talk shows have only reinforced that thinking. In fact, commentators are already gearing up to reignite the narrative. This week on ESPN, analyst Lawrencia Moten argued that Clark isn’t that good and that the Fever are tougher to guard without her.
Notably, Moten shared the segment with ESPN’s Monica McNutt, who gained national attention last year for accusing young girls of favoring Clark due to racial bias.
“Caitlin represented, and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her because it was not anything that she said or was truly based on her personality, but she was a white girl from the middle of America,” McNutt said while discussing Clark’s popularity among young fans.
Is that so?
What about Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Steph Curry? Are they only popular among young fans because they are Black? OutKick asked McNutt for clarification at the time. She didn’t respond.
The players should understand that Clark’s success can elevate them as well. So far, Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham seems to be the only one who does.
Players like Angel Reese, DiJonai Carrington and Chennedy Carter have used the increased attention on the WNBA to signal virtue and showcase poor impulse control. During Clark’s rookie season, the three established themselves as her foils through cheap shots, hard fouls and subtweets.
The strategy earned them relevance, but in a negative light.
“[Reese’s] attention, her notoriety is based off Caitlin Clark because she wins the national title, the first thing she does is mock Caitlin Clark,” radio host Dan Patrick said. “And then she doesn’t even celebrate with her teammates. So she’s made it personal with Caitlin Clark. Then she’s played off of that.”
Reese didn’t help her case either by promoting two separate race hoaxes, one involving a fan and another involving a man at a hotel.
That bitterness and jealousy might drive engagement on social media, but it’s bad for the league. It makes the WNBA look bush league, unruly and driven by resentment.
History shows there’s one reliable way for a niche sport to break into the mainstream: through a transcendent star. Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey all proved it. The WNBA has that level of star in Caitlin Clark. However, it has to embrace her, not bury her in marketing campaigns out of fear of racial tensions.
The WNBA has a golden opportunity this season. It can grow its brand, showcase new stars and expand its audience. To do that, the league and its players have to accept that the interest starts with the White girl from Iowa.
We’re not convinced they can do that.
