Hockey Legend Wayne Gretzky Credits Caitlin Clark for ‘Taking Over the World’

WNBA and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is helping women's basketball grow leaps and bounds in her second season.

Hockey Legend Wayne Gretzky Credits Caitlin Clark for ‘Taking Over the World’

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky believes Caitlin Clark is changing women's sports worldwide (Image via FirstSportz)

Caitlin Clark might be out injured, but fans have not necessarily stopped coming to Indiana Fever games to catch a glimpse of the 23-year-old star. This points to the fact that she is not only pulling fans when she plays, but also when she is just present.

During the offseason, some events gave further proof of this theory. When she played at the Pro Am The Annika, ticket sales boomed by 12 times. That was the first proof that fans want to catch a glimpse of her anywhere they can.

The second instance was at the second of Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour concerts in Indianapolis. Once Swifties figured out they could approach the Indiana Fever star, hundreds lined up to exchange friendship bands, all while the Grammy Award-winning artist was performing.

All this points towards the fact that Caitlin Clark is a crowd puller unlike ever seen before in women’s sports. Considering how many great women have performed in various disciplines, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who was on the New Heights podcast, believes Clark has a far broader reach.

Look at Caitlin Clark, how she’s just taken over the country, for that matter, maybe the world. She’s encouraged so many young girls now to participate in sports, whether it is basketball or soccer or volleyball.

Wayne Gretzky on Caitlin Clark

The recently displaced all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history believes Caitlin Clark‘s impact is what matters the most. Other than her ability to transform everything she touches, the Iowa native has inspired young girls to take up sports. That impact is far greater than anything, and Gretzky believes it is worldwide.

Caitlin Clark’s popularity could push WNBA expansion past 16 teams

After her rookie WNBA season ended, many believed the Caitlin Clark phenomenon was over, and going forward, the league would struggle to grow faster than they did. However, her impact transcends that of her Indiana Fever team, as was evident when all teams sold out their season ticket allotments.

Fans thronged The Annika to watch Caitlin Clark play golf
Fans thronged The Annika to watch Caitlin Clark play golf (Image via Open Source/X)

Most of her opponents were forced to lease out larger arenas to cater to ticket demands, and viewership has been climbing north. The league already has one expansion team playing this season and has two more scheduled to start next year.

Bidding for a fourth is almost close to completion, but there are still many investor groups waiting for the league to expand further. SportsCenter’s hosts asked Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis if he believes Kansas City is a good place for an expansion franchise.

I think it would be great. You have seen the success of the KC Current, they are a women’s soccer team. You’ve seen the way the city has come around them and supported them, and how well they are doing this season. I think a WNBA team would be met here with open arms.

Jason Sudeikis said

He believes the city should look at reversing the standard practice of first having an NBA team and then bringing a women’s team into the mix. Sudeikis’ belief seems that the popularity of women’s basketball is such that basketball-deprived states could also make a mark in the league.

Caitlin Clark’s Fever loses second straight game without her

A quad injury has forced Caitlin Clark to take on babysitting and camerawoman duties as she continues her recovery. Today, she missed her second straight game when her Indiana Fever took on the Connecticut Sun.

The Fever showed signs of struggles without the reigning Rookie of the Year helming their offense. But today, it took a turn for the worse. The team lost backup point guard Sydney Colson to a leg injury early in the game.

Those problems, along with the chemistry issues, saw the Fever trail by 15 points early in the 4th quarter. Then DeWanna Bonner’s three straight three-pointers, along with a flurry of other scores, led the Fever back into the lead.

But the shorthanded home team could only do so much, losing to the Sun, 85-83. The 16,000 fans inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse were at least happy that their team responded, as they will need to try and win the next few games until Clark returns.

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