Caitlin Clark Joins Michael Jordan and LeBron James on Cooper Flagg’s Mount Rushmore

WNBA star Caitlin Clark sat courtside at American Airlines Center during the game against Dallas Wings with Cooper Flagg present.

Caitlin Clark Joins Michael Jordan and LeBron James on Cooper Flagg’s Mount Rushmore

Cooper Flagg places Caitlin Clark on Mount Rushmore of basketball alongside NBA greats (Image via FirstSportz)

Caitlin Clark has created such a phenomenon around her that athletes consider her to be a needle changer. Then, some believe that the Indiana Fever superstar is also an accomplished player who is just getting ready to dominate the WNBA.

The 23-year-old has proven she has the power to pull fans by the horde after opposing teams were forced to lease larger arenas. One of them is the American Airlines Center, where Cooper Flagg is about to start his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Duke standout was at the Mavericks’ facilities to answer questions at his introductory press conference. A reporter asked him which players he would rank from the NBA as well as the WNBA on his Mount Rushmore.

NBA players, I would say, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron, and probably Kobe. WNBA, Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson is on there. I might put Caitlin Clark on there just because she has changed the game so much, and it is heading in the right direction. And I just love what she’s been able to do.

Cooper Flagg replied

The 18-year-old believes Caitlin Clark‘s impact so far is enough to place her alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and other greats from both leagues. He believes her impact has helped the league go places it has not been able to do so far.

ESPN analyst believes Cooper Flagg will have Caitlin Clark-esque impact in NBA

Clark helped the WNBA grow at an unprecedented rate in her rookie season. This season, many feel the growth will be similar as fans continue to find the league exciting. ESPN analyst Peter Rosenberg believes Cooper Flagg will have a similar impact on the NBA.

Cooper Flagg is a White guy, maybe the best White American prospect since Larry Bird. Let’s not act as if we don’t live in America and we’re not seeing what’s happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact in the NBA.

Peter Rosenberg said on First Take

Rosenberg believes Flagg will draw fans to the NBA the way Clark has done for women’s sports. He delved into the White privilege notion to explain that there is a reason why the WNBA enjoys all the growth.

Rosenberg feels a similar movement could start in the NBA, especially when it comes to drawing White Americans back to the game. So far, they have resorted to the MLB, NFL, NHL, and other forms of sports. The ESPN analyst believes the NBA will now enjoy the benefits.

Caitlin Clark’s injury might again cause WNBA ratings to drop

When Caitlin Clark sat out for five games due to a quad strain, WNBA viewership ratings dropped by half. It also became evident that her not playing was hurting ticket sales. When she returned to play, ratings went back up.

Caitlin Clark missed 2nd straight game with groin injury
Caitlin Clark missed 2nd straight game with groin injury (Image via Indiana Fever/X)

Now, she has missed a second straight game after suffering a groin injury. It was supposed to be the marquee clash against college rival and fellow No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers. American Airlines Center was packed with Kyrie Irving, Cade Cunningham, Mark Cuban, and Flagg in the building.

If she continues to miss games due to injury, expect WNBA ratings to drop again. There are a lot of discussions about how the Indiana Fever possibly did not handle her initial injury well enough. This time, fans hope the franchise takes extra care and allows her time to recover.

The team is in the middle of the table with a quarter of the season over. If they are to push for a championship, they need their most important player healthy and playing at her best for the rest of the season.

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