"Never compare 0.8 GPA DrumReese to Caitlin Clark": Fans react to ROTY's star power driving near-perfect viewership record (PO)

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark significantly impacted the WNBA’s viewership this season. This was evident by the fact that the 2024 Rookie of the Year was involved in nearly every one of the league’s most-watched games.

On Tuesday, Lev Akabas, a data reporter for Sportico, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that out of the 10 most-viewed broadcasts in the WNBA, Clark was involved in nine of them. This included the 2024 WNBA Draft, which was headlined by the former Iowa star, and the 2024 All-Star Game.

The only game in the top 10 that didn’t involve the Fever star was Game 5 of the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx, which ranked seventh, behind four Fever regular season games.

Fans shared their reactions to the Clark domination online.

“Caitlin fans most likely are chunk of the people that watched that 1 game Clark wasn’t directly in,” one fan said.

“I’m shocked it isn’t 10/10,” another fan said.
“This is exactly why Unrivaled is trying to get Caitlin Clark to play for their league!” a fan said online.
Meanwhile, other fans had fun trolling Clark’s rival, the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.

“Never compare 0.8 GPA DrumReese to Caitlin Clark,” one fan said.
“I thought Angel Reese was the reason people watch the WNBA for?” another fan said.

“But the reason you watching is because of Angel too 🤣🤣,” a fan said.
Clark continues to gain popularity following her rookie season. According to SportsPro, the Fever star is the fourth most marketable player in the world. She ranks a spot higher than soccer sensation, Lionel Messi, and is behind LA Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Also read: Knowing Caitlin Clark since elementary school, Jada Gyamfi reveals how she followed her footsteps to reach Iowa

Caitlin Clark discusses WNBA’s growth potential
The WNBA players’ union chose to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on Monday, giving it and the league a year to negotiate to avoid a potential work stoppage.

According to the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the players seek a business model that provides higher pay, better working conditions, and expanded health benefits.

On the same day, Caitlin Clark spoke at an event discussing the league’s surge in popularity and believes it’s a sign of more potential for growth.

“The amount of people that have showed up in the stadiums, from the viewership numbers to people really wanting to wear a WNBA player’s jersey or buy their merch, whatever it is, or have their shoe – just how its evolved in such a short period of time,” Clark said.
“It shows everyone there is real opportunities here and there has been opportunity here, so I think that’s what is so exciting.”
It remains to be seen whether the WNBPA’s demands are met or if the potential for a lockout increases.