After a spectacular Rookie of the Year campaign with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark continues to gain high praise from many throughout the basketball world as her influence on the growth and prosperity of the game increases.
During Sunday’s game between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers from Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, MSG broadcaster Mike Breen spoke of Clark’s impact on the WNBA’s TV ratings by mentioning how the Fever’s local broadcasts this summer were higher than that of the Pacers.
“During the summer, when the Indiana Fever played here with Caitlin Clark, the building was packed. Every game,” Breen said on the broadcast. “The TV ratings of the Fever this summer, for the local telecast, were higher than a lot of the Pacers games because of Caitlin Clark.”
Mike Breen talked multiple times about Caitlin’s impact on women’s basketball during the Knicks vs Pacers broadcast. We need him to call a Fever game!
“She’s doing rating wise for the WNBA what Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Steph Curry have been doing for the NBA.”
BANG pic.twitter.com/Zdu46IfS5B
— correlation (@nosyone4) November 11, 2024
Breen continued raving about Clark and compared her impact on the WNBA to past NBA greats’ impact on the league.
“She’s doing, rating-wise for the WNBA, what Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Steph Curry have been doing for the NBA,” Breen said on the broadcast.
As the No. 1 selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark’s ability to translate her game displayed during her four years with the Hawkeyes has been spectacular.
In Clark’s first full professional season, she finished averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 35.4 minutes per game. She also shot 41.7% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range, and 90.6 from the free-throw line.
Clark set a new WNBA single-season record with 337 assists. Clark also established new rookie single-season records for points (769) and 3-pointers made (122).
Clark led the league in 3-pointers made and finished just six behind the single-season WNBA record that New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu set during the 2023 season.
Clark helped direct the Fever to a 20-20 record and their first postseason berth since the 2016 WNBA season.
With Stephanie White taking over as the Fever’s new head coach next season, Clark will look to translate her off-court impact into another sensational WNBA season.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.
Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews