The debate on whether Caitlin Clark had an impact on the WNBA or not has been consistent ever since she first laced up. This time, it came back to overshadow A'ja Wilson.

TIME Magazine published its Athlete of the Year profile on A'ja, and for some reason, Caitlin Clark was roped into it. While many analysts have come forth about the interview, Iowa Hawkeyes insider, David Eickholt, shared a screenshot from ESPN’s 2025 viewership report, which pointed to how Clark’s involvement was not exaggerated.

According to the X post, the Indiana Fever were in 9 of ESPN’s top 10 regular-season games, accounting for 8 of the league’s overall top 10. Their opener against the Chicago Sky saw 2.7 million viewers. The Fever’s semifinal series averaged 1.3 million viewers, with Game 5 pulling 1.83 million. All this without CC on the court.

The TIME piece argued that Clark’s rise created “a toxic, racially divisive narrative” that gave the impression she was “singularly responsible for salvaging a league whose foundation had been built by a mostly Black player base.”

Even basketball analyst Rachel DeMita took to social media to call out the article, saying it “drags Caitlin Clark for absolutely no reason.”

She questioned why Clark was even mentioned during Wilson’s moment: “This is A’ja’s time to shine. Why are we bringing this up?” About the injury comments, she didn’t beat around the bush with her words: “That’s crazy… Who’s cheering for injuries?”

Injured Clark Stood Strong

DeMita highlighted the same point: once Clark went down, “numbers dropped,” but fans still showed up for her, whether for team support, jersey signings, or simply to her presence supporting the team from the sidelines. Even off court, Clark brought in the attendance and viewership.

As DeMita put it, “The WNBA was growing like this,” motioning upward, “and then when Caitlin Clark came, it went straight to the moon.”

The point is simple: Caitlin Clark is not the only one bringing in the viewership, and there is no question about it.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu