Shannon Sharpe had high praise for Caitlin Clark on ESPN's First Take. During an appearance on the show, Sharpe talked about Clark's impact on the sport's popularity and the discourse surrounding her. Sharpe compared Clark's hype coming into the WNBA to LeBron James ' arrival to the NBA in 2003.
"'We understand that Caitlin Clark is good, but what about the women that laid the foundation'? When Michael Jordan, nobody was talking about Connie Hawkins, nobody was talking about Wilt Chamberlain, nobody was doing that! That's what we've always done. We talked about the player that's currently playing."
"That's not to say there weren't women that built the league... We're not trying to dismiss them. But as far as box office - she's basically the LeBron James. The kind of hype that LeBron James came into the NBA with? Caitlin Clark came to the WNBA with the same kind of hype. And she's backed it up."
Shannon Sharpe does make some valid points about Caitlin Clark's popularity in the league. Clark made a name for herself during her time at Iowa State. The mercurial college star set the record for the most points in NCAA women's basketball history, breaking WNBA star Kelsey Plum's record.
Since then, she was the consensus first-overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, getting drafted by the Indiana Fever. She has had an awesome run in the league so far, dominating the league both as a scorer and a provider. Many consider her the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award over her rival Angel Reese.
Clark's rivalry with Angel Reese has garnered the most interest in the WNBA, and most recently, her final rematch with Reese became the most expensive game in WNBA history, with an average ticket price of $334 .
Caitlin Clark - Runaway Rookie Of The Year?
Caitlin Clark is having an incredible season so far. She is averaging 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks for the season. In fact, when compared to Angel Reese, she leads in 10 of the 11 major categories , making her the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year.
However, not everyone is a true believer in Caitlin Clark's. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown recently declared his support for Angel Reese's Rookie of the Year campaign , picking her over Caitlin Clark. However, some have speculated this might be because of their friendship off the court.
Clark has been the standout from her rookie class this year. While Angel Reese has had a good year, statistically, there is no comparison between the two. Clark has been able to help the Fever make a playoff push in the late stage of the season, something the franchise has not been able to do in the last few years.
Clark is helping build a massive fanbase, not just for herself, but for the entire WNBA right now. She may end up having a massive impact on the fanbase and the popularity of the league when all is said and done. But for Clark, her career goal will remain the same - walk away as the greatest to ever do it in her field.
Related: LeBron James Shows Love To Caitlin Clark After Career Night
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