Caitlin Clark’s EXPLOSION forced networks to notice women’s sports, says WNBA legend
Candace Parker feels networks and businesses are seeing the potential with WNBA and women's basketball after Caitlin Clark's rise to stardom.
Follow Us
Candace Parker reveals networks did not help the WNBA or women's basketball until they saw Caitlin Clark's rise
The WNBA along with women’s college basketball is at the heights of popularity now. Most of the credit for it goes to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark after her incredible rise to superstardom. Her influence alone has led to sellout crowds and millions of viewers.
But it was not like this before. Many stars have told countless stories where WNBA players have had to travel in cramped commercial flights even if they had back-to-back games. They had to share rooms, and their families could not travel with them.
All because the amount of attention was not enough for the league and the teams to make money. That lack of money meant lack of facilities, as WNBA legend Candace Parker experienced up until her retirement before last season.
The three-time WNBA champion was sitting along with MLB great and Minnesota Lynx part owner Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly on the podcast The Deal. When asked about the growth of women’s basketball, Parker detailed how it changed.
The first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you surprised that people actually saw the product? It was buried for so long on ESPN.
Candace Parker on the WNBA’s stunted growth
Candace Parker criticizes networks for burying women's sports for many years. (via @bbgoriginals)
— WNBACentral (@TheWCentral) November 7, 2024
"The first time they put the Women's NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you… pic.twitter.com/Mt4AiI8tuZ
She revealed later that back then, WNBA games would clash with other sporting leagues such as the NFL, especially around their opening week games, which would coincide with a WNBA regular season game. That made networks choose the more popular league over theirs. But now, she feels things are changing.
Caitlin Clark’s impact reaping results in women’s basketball
For starters, this season, a game featuring Caitlin Clark managed to rake in more than a million viewers. The significance of that game was that it was the same night when the NFL hosted its first game in Brazil. Such attention was not possible before without a superstar who can draw those viewers in.
Even despite the fact that the Indiana Fever star is not playing, her impact has been evident in college basketball. Her alma mater Iowa Hawkeyes’ home opener this season was a full house affair. They even sold out their season tickets well before training camp started.
On the other hand, her impact has seen the likes of Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins grow in fan following. Both college stars signed multi-year endorsement deals with Nike. But it was not just restricted to the top stars.
Her fellow rookie Jacy Sheldon of the Dallas Wings signed with an upcoming sneaker brand. As Candace Parker mentioned, now networks and brands are understanding that women sell equally well as men. If more stars come in, it won’t be long before the WNBA might even start to have more viewers than the men’s game.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2269 Articles Published)