With the 2026 WNBA season delayed, Caitlin Clark is headed to the NBA.

CC will be joining NBC’s pregame coverage for the debut of Sunday Night Basketball this weekend.

At first, she would appear for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks matchup at Madison Square Garden. Then she will return for another pregame role on March 29, when the Knicks face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As a special contributor on Basketball Night in America, she will be joining host Maria Taylor alongside analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. 

The panel features all Basketball Hall of Famers, and CC seemed excited.

“I’m really excited to be part of the Basketball Night in America crew this season,” Clark said in a statement released by NBC. “Carmelo, Vince, and Tracy are legends of the game, and Maria is a true professional. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season.”

But there’s also a logical reason behind her addition.

How is Caitlin Clark a Fit?

While it’s an exciting step for Clark, it’s also a win-win situation, as NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood explained it best in a conversation with the Associated Press.

“There’s no more iconic figure in basketball in the women’s game right now—or the game in general…So we said, ‘Let’s have a bigger conversation.’”

But there’s a strong business connection, too. That’s because CC has a marketing partnership with Xfinity, inked two years ago. This deal includes joint promotional campaigns and marketing opportunities.

And since Xfinity is the consumer brand of Comcast Corporation, which also happens to be the parent company of NBCUniversal, the move is a natural media fit.

This isn’t CC’s first NBC appearance. She previously showed up on Saturday Night Live in April 2024. So everything feels connected. And given the former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar’s experience, reach, and fan following, the move feels fully justified.

Are you excited?

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das