Caitlin Clark’s Influence is Bigger Than Serena Williams, Claims 2 x Super Bowl Champion

Caitlin Clark is fueling a surge in interest not just in women's basketball, but also in all forms of women's sports.

Caitlin Clark’s Influence is Bigger Than Serena Williams, Claims 2 x Super Bowl Champion

Caitlin Clark and Serena Williams (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Caitlin Clark is being hailed as the most influential women's athlete, surpassing Serena Williams in impact.
  • The WNBA has seen a significant increase in viewership, averaging a million viewers even during Clark's injury.
  • Clark's popularity has led to skyrocketing sales for brands like Gatorade and Nike, highlighting her market influence.

From the time Caitlin Clark exploded on the college basketball scene to now, the world of women’s basketball has grown in leaps and bounds.

Gone are the days when the WNBA would struggle to draw five-digit viewers, to now, where even when she was injured, the league managed to average a million viewers across all teams.

Some might not give her credit, but there is no doubt that the transformational change the Iowa native has brought is also helping women’s sports grow as a whole.

She is the most influential women’s athlete of all-time… Serena was great for us. Who was watching women’s basketball?… And then we get this girl who’s like Steph Curry, everybody watching!

LeSean McCoy said

As he started stating his opinion, the two-time Super Bowl champion tried to claim that Caitlin Clark was the most influential women’s athlete, irrespective of race, sport, or accomplishments.

Hearing this, his Speakeasy co-panelists lost their minds as they felt LeSean McCoy was disrespecting the great Serena Williams. To this, the former running back pointed out that even though the tennis legend was great, particularly for the black community, Clark’s impact is bigger.

He reminded them that there was no time in history when a female athlete was discussed among fans, television, or any other platform in the same breath as the best male counterparts. That is her impact, and she is going to lead the charge of women’s sports.

Caitlin Clark helping $7.4 Billion brand restart sales of her favorite product

There may be many who would like to reference the exploits of some of the all-time greats in women’s sports to counter LeSean McCoy’s claim. But with every passing day, new information proves his point.

Nike is banking on Caitlin Clark for its resurgence
Nike is banking on Caitlin Clark for its resurgence (Image via Scott Agness/X)

From Nike’s Kobe Protro sales going through the roof, particularly in Caitlin Clark’s custom editions, Wilson having to restock her signature basketballs over and over again, to her Indiana Fever constantly having to order new stock with Nike.

Then there is Gatorade, the $7.4 billion valued sports drink brand that has quite a lineup of top-tier athletes and celebrities as its global ambassadors.

Even then, by their own admission, they did not have enough when they re-launched Clark’s favorite Rain Berry flavor in limited edition capsules bearing her image on the label.

After selling out 2200 capsules in 22 minutes, the brand has decided to continue using her as the face of the Rain Berry Low Sugar flavor with a nationwide release.

The 24-year-old’s impact on brands is such that Gatorade did not mind spending money to use pop star Rose and Bruno Mars‘ hit collaboration, APT, as the background soundtrack for their commercial featuring Clark. On top of that, they courted the great Candace Parker to do the voiceover.

Caitlin Clark and WNBA peers have to wait a while before learning about next season

Even though Caitlin Clark has brands to provide her with a lot more money than any of her WNBA peers can earn, the basketball savant in her would want to play the sport she loves.

The league tried to pile on the pressure on the players and their union with a March 10th deadline if they were not to compromise the 2026 schedule.

However, after the WNBPA rejected the league’s latest proposal, there were rumors that some players wanted to avoid a strike. There was also a situation where it seemed as if the union was fractured.

But earlier, they came out with a statement where they pointed out how the league tries to divide players and how they should stand united in these times, as they cannot let go of a golden opportunity to get what they deserve.

From all this, it seems Caitlin Clark and her peers might have to wait a while longer before starting their preparations for the 2026 season. Until then, basketball fans have to be content with the upcoming USA Basketball qualifiers and March Madness.

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