Earlier this week, Google released its annual “Year in Search,” highlighting the 10 most-searched athletes in the US. Shockingly, Sophie Cunningham was the only women’s athlete in the top 10, landing at No. 7. However, Caitlin Clark did not appear on the list. However, there' a twist

As per Basketball Reference’s annual map, most people in the United States still visited Caitlin Clark' page.

Clark in 41 out of 50 states, whereas Angel Reese was more popular in the other nine. In fact, Clark managed to equal LeBron James' 41 state tally from this year.

Well, the stark difference between Google and Basketball Reference comes down to one key point. While Basketball Reference tracks basketball interest, Google tracks trending searches rather than top searches.

It was a considerable gain from Angel Reese, especially since Caitlin Clark swept all 50 states in popularity last season. However, with Caitlin Clark on the sidelines due to injury, Angel Reese's second year in the league has seen her take a massvie jump.

Can Caitlin Clark sweep the page view rankings in 2026?

As of now, CC is busy preparing to participate in the Team USA training camp in Durham, North Carolina, alongside 18 players.  After that, she’ll shift her focus to her comeback season with the Indiana Fever. 

Notably, Clark is one of only three Indiana Fever players already under contract for 2026. Everyone else, including Indy’s core of Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and Kelsey Mitchell, is headed for free agency.

According to Sportrac, Indy has a total cap space of $1,301,034 for the 2026 season. But to re-sign key players, everything depends upon a new CBA, something that still hasn’t come into sight.

If Clark can play without injury, we could see her take the top spot once again! Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar