Basketball fans have rarely missed the chance to shower Caitlin Clark with love since her 2024 professional debut in the WNBA. However, the rookie star has seemingly become more of a TV personality than staying in the limelight for her game, given how she and her identity as a sportsperson are documented in the media.
Analysing the booming rise of the “Caitlin Clark effect” among the fan community, the National Research Group’s (NRG) new study (by Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp) digs deeper into sports fans’ attitude towards the Indiana Fever #22 guard.
66% of 1,074 self-identified sports fans in the 18-64 age range have an overall positive impression of the Iowa native (just 4% negative), which positions her in better standing than iconic NBA players such as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant. The study also reveals she’s on par with Nikola Jokic and right below Steph Curry and Luka Doncic.
However, some insiders seem to have a different outlook on the matter.
South Carolina’s legendary college basketball coach, Dawn Staley, asserted that Clark would not be named the Rookie of the Year if the WNBA season concluded today. According to her, someone else was more deserving of it.
“At this time – today– it’s Angel [Reese],” she told TMZ Sports. “Without a doubt.”
However, Staley didn’t entirely rule Clark out of the competition while favouring her former collegiate rival. The six-time All-Star and former Virginia Cavalier guard said that the final decision would ultimately be determined by who leads their team to the playoffs.
Despite their recent claims that they’re tired of the whole “rivalry” discourse, Clark and Reese’s on-court clash has undoubtedly crossed over to the WNBA platform and gained unprecedented levels of attention. Strong cases can be made for both rookie sensations, the top contenders for the WNBA Rookie of the Year honour, yet everyone seems to have a different opinion.
Prior to the Friday night game against the Mercury, Clark was averaging 16.7 points per game and 7.6 assists. Meanwhile, Reese stands at 13.8 points and 11.8 rebounds through the 22 games she’s participated in.
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However, Staley’s perception of the Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese picture starkly contrasts the Associated Press’ recent poll numbers. According to a July 10 report, a national panel of voters affirmed that Clark was leading Reese in the ROTY race. The 15-member panel favoured Clark for the pick with a 9-5 vote (one didn’t vote).
“Today, I would say Clark, only because they have one more win overall as a team and have a 2-1 lead head-to-head,” Christy Winters-Scott, a basketball analyst for the Mystics, said. However, the sports journalist underlined, “This could change as the WNBA season progresses.”
On the other side of the court, fans also noted that Clark and Reese’s basketball rivalry was drawing attention to the women’s league. The National Research Group’s study further stated that 64% of the 1,074 fans involved in the survey have heard of Clark, while the Chicago Sky rookie ranked #2 among WNBA players. The analysis also established that the majority (72%) of fans sympathised with her because of the press’s treatment of the star. 60% even claimed that the media “treats her unfairly.” Conversely, 41% agreed to have seen Clark’s rivalry with Reese or stories about WNBA players projecting “jealousy” toward her.
Thereafter, 13% said they watched more WNBA in 2024 than their usual encounter with the league. Of these fans, the grand majority, 81%, acknowledged that Clark was one of the influential reasons for their increasing interest in the WNBA. Similarly, 87% suggested that Clark’s rise will inspire more girls to show interest in the sport.
