Reports: Luka Doncic’s Lakers ESPN debut fails to outgun Caitlin Clark on network TV
WNBA's Caitlin Calrk transcends Luka Doncic's debut with Los Angeles Lakers, showcasing her growing influence
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Luka Doncic's debut numbers fade in front of Caitlin Clark
The Caitlin Clark phenomenon has captivated hoop fans, causing them to switch over to the WNBA instead of the NBA. A fan of the female athlete took to Twitter to highlight the level of variance in fan engagement and viewership of Clark’s games compared to other young NBA superstars like Luka Doncic.
Despite moving to one of the most prominent and biggest markets in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic’s first game in purple and gold failed to outshine Clark’s regular season outings on ABC from last year. According to numbers, Luka Magic’s debut on Monday night garnered 2.55 million viewers, averaging an audience of 2.01 million fans. This is an upswing for the league, whose media partners are grappling with plummeting eyeballs. Up 42% from last year’s average, it was ESPN’s most-watched game since last November.
However, in spite of receiving a huge, warm welcome from LA fans, the Slovenian was dwarfed by TIME’s Athlete of the Year. Last season, the WNBA Rookie of the Year averaged 2.2 million viewers, reaching a pinnacle of 2.9 million. Broadcasters noticed a 256% surge in viewership from the previous season, mostly attributed to the young superstar. The fact that Indiana Fever’s sharpshooter has been able to amass more eyeballs than, let’s say, Luka Doncic joining LeBron James on the Lakers highlights the direction the basketball community is headed.
a random caitlin clark game in august had more viewers than luka dončić’s debut in a lakers jersey 👀 pic.twitter.com/pZNmhKP2Y5
— cc akgae (@clrkszn) February 13, 2025
There’s nothing to sweat here but rather to celebrate the expanding influence of women’s sports and athletes. With growing popularity and fan engagement, it’s only fair for female athletes to renegotiate their contract terms to something fairer. As of today, NBA players receive half of the league’s revenue, whereas the WNBA only shares 10% of its profits with its athletes.
Caitlin Clark collabs with Nike to launch her first signature shoe
Since being drafted as the number one overall pick, the rookie has become the face of the WNBA. In only one year as a professional athlete, she has become a household name globally. So, it’s only right for the 23-year-old to be offered a signature shoe deal. Recently, Nike’s CEO confirmed that they are working on designing a Caitlin Clark collection since signing an eight-year, $28 million endorsement deal with the brand last year, which involves her own signature shoes.
Caitlin Clark Kent‘s first signature shoe is set to release the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Indiana Fever” special edition sneaker in May of 2025. Which means, fans can expect to see Clark’s first signature sneaker hit the market in 2026. This is a significant step in the right direction for the WNBA.
Besides Nike, Clark has also signed endorsement deals with other major brands like Gatorade, State Farm, Panini America to name a few. Last season she had a spectacular season, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds while leading the league in assists with 8.4 a game, making her the first rookie ever to lead the league in that category.
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Prateek Athanur
(2973 Articles Published)