Caitlin Clark has been tipped to leave the WNBA behind and start her own basketball league as her popularity continues to soar beyond anything seen before.
The Indiana Fever star’s biographer, Christine Brennan, put forth a wild theory this week about Clark’s future in the league, on the day that she was named a captain in the All-Star Game.
The former Iowa sensation has driven massive ratings to the league and helped shatter attendance records as she’s become the biggest name in women’s hoops.
And while Clark is currently starring for the Fever, Brennan thinks she could someday start her own league.
‘Nike loves her. She’s got Wilson, obviously. She’s got Gatorade,’ Brennan said. ‘Even though the salary’s $76,000 for a rookie – it’s more this year now – she’s making $28 million from Nike alone, according to the Wall Street Journal. So she’s at $40 million, whatever,’ Brennan said on ESPN LA when asked about the prospect.
‘OK, fine, she’s doing great. And if Nike said, “We’re going to make the Nike-Clark league,” it would obviously take a few years to get the arenas and whatever.
Caitlin Clark has driven record viewership and attendance numbers in the WNBA since arriving
‘But you know the TV contract. I mean, it’s Caitlin. Again, the TV viewership, it’s Caitlin Clark. It’s not Angel [Reese] and Caitlin. It’s Caitlin. It’s Caitlin Clark only.’
‘And I think Angel’s a great rebounder and excellent at what she does, but she doesn’t move the needle on TV ratings,’ she continued, as she promoted ‘On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports.’
‘It’s Caitlin. And they could do it. I think they could absolutely put it together in a couple of years. And I’ll stay on that because I agree with you. It’s fascinating and it’s doable because of the void in the vacuum of leadership the WNBA continues to exhibit.’
In no small part due to Clark’s effect on the league, the WNBA secured a new 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video NBCUniversal worth a reported $2.2billion, which is set to begin in 2026.
Additionally, the players’ union announced last fall that players were opting out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire this coming October.
There has already been a prominent breakaway women’s league since Clark joined the WNBA, as the 3-on-3 Unrivaled launched last winter.
And while the league heavily recruited Clark, she ultimately declined to participate as she recharged her batteries following an extremely hectic year.
While Clark has at times been at her best during her sophomore campaign, her numbers have dipped across the board and she’s appeared in just nine of the Fever’s 16 contests due to injury.
She returned from a five-game absence from a quad injury earlier this month, but only played another five games before being ruled out again with a groin issue.
Brennan has an upcoming book on Clark and her impact, titled: ‘On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports’
Clark has missed the last two games for the Fever, with her status uncertain for the matchup against the Lynx on Tuesday night.
The guard’s points per game have dropped from 19.2 in her rookie year to 18.2 this season, while her three-point percentage has so far gone from 34.4 percent to 29.5 percent.
Nonetheless, she was announced by the WNBA as an All-Star Game captain on Sunday after she and Napheesa Collier received the most votes.
Clark and Lynx star Collier will have the opportunity to draft from a pool of the other WNBA All-Stars to create two teams ahead of the festivities next month.
The WNBA All-Star Game will take place on July 19 at Clark’s home stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
