Caitlin Clark Sparked Million-Dollar WNBA Deals With Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods Impact, Says Hall of Famer

Ever since Caitlin Clark arrived in the WNBA, she has brought along the millions of fans who followed her college career.

Caitlin Clark Sparked Million-Dollar WNBA Deals With Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods Impact, Says Hall of Famer

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

Narratives, and rather controversial ones, have returned this season now that Caitlin Clark is back playing basketball for the Indiana Fever.

Last year, her injuries kept her out, and so did the chance for those who want to create something around her name that would spark curiosity.

The Iowa native has said out loud that she does not listen to all the noise, as she knows every opinion is not based on facts. Yet, they do not stop. Now, they are growing loud enough that even the mainstream media cannot ignore them.

Clark has tried to shut down such narratives over the past few days. Yet, whenever someone is discussing her, those questions are raised. When it was Nancy Lieberman‘s turn, she said this:

You can’t deny she brings the media… You probably weren’t talking about anybody four years ago. She’s done her job. Just like Tiger (Woods) did, just like Michael Jordan did… She came with a fan base of millions, and it’s helping the league. They don’t get the $2.2 billion CBA honestly without her being there.

Lieberman told Jackson Thompson

The Hall of Famer pointed out how, as a generational player, Caitlin Clark has brought in massive swathes of fans to the WNBA. She agreed that there are other generational players in the league.

But it is the Hawkeye great who has led this massive wave of support for the league. That is how the others were able to secure million-dollar contracts.

Lieberman has compared Clark’s impact to what Tiger Woods did for golf and what Michael Jordan did for the NBA in the past. Now she is doubling down after the league did get what she predicted.

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Caitlin Clark’s head coach shuts down narratives

Other than the general narratives about Caitlin Clark’s attitude on the court, there are others who have been demanding that head coach Stephanie White be fired.

They believe that the 48-year-old is not setting up the superstar to succeed, as was evident in her five-straight low-scoring games. When a reporter asked White about this, she replied:

I don’t know that I really have an answer for the fans. I have to answer to the team and the franchise. We are trying to win ball games. We are not trying to appease the fan base.

Stephanie White said

The coach was clear that the Fever are trying to win games, and that her Big 3 are working hard to find their rhythm. Therefore, she will do whatever is needed to get them there, as otherwise the team cannot fire on all cylinders.

White might have a point, as Clark did not play two-thirds of last season and the playoffs. Therefore, it is as much an adjustment for her as for Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

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Rapper Kid Cudi gets his wish after meeting Caitlin Clark

There is no doubt that Caitlin Clark is scratching the surface of what she can do after two offseasons’ worth of development. At the FIBA World Cup Regional Qualifiers in Puerto Rico, the work behind the scenes helped her win the tournament MVP.

Kid Cudi with Caitlin Clark
Kid Cudi with Caitlin Clark (Image via Fever/X)

When she won, it caught the attention of anyone who follows women’s basketball, as they knew that the 24-year-old had signaled her return to the WNBA would be nothing short of spectacular.

To win the tournament MVP despite having other standout players on the squad was enough of a statement. That effort caught the attention of rapper Kid Cudi, who made it clear that he wanted to watch her play live.

With the Fever set to play the Chicago Sky next at home, the two-time Grammy Award winner made his way to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to meet Clark and her teammates beforehand.

He competed against a few of them, including the superstar point guard, in a game of Reflex Sticks. Then, the players signed his custom No. 84 jersey, and Clark gave him a signed jersey of her own.

With Cudi making a point to meet her, Nancy Lieberman was not wrong to claim that she moves the needle when it comes to drawing attention to the WNBA.

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