The notion promotes that Caitlin Clark's stellar play during her college career at Iowa managed to propel the WNBA into a significant growth phase almost on her own.
Clark's debut season with the Indiana Fever saw her smashing rookie records left and right, wooing hefty crowds, and spiking TV viewership figures.
However, it wasn't just Clark lighting up the league; she teamed with other luminaries like newcomer Angel Reese and double-time MVP A'ja Wilson - who etched her name in history as the first WNBA player with over 1,000 points in a single season - enhancing the league's profile.
As Antonelli commentated on the Indiana Fevers thrilling 110-109 victory over Dallas Wings last Sunday, she grabbed the moment to refute the idea that Clark was the sole architect of the WNBA's triumph.
Antonelli declared during her commentary that Clark has indeed made waves, but staunchly insisted that the WNBA's ascent is rooted in the endeavors of numerous players, not just one. "The game didn't need saving. I don't know who came up with 'Caitlin was a savior. That's not true," Antonelli disagreed.
"What the game needed was a disruption in the economic marketplace. And that's what we're seeing here. That's why it's been so fun to cover the Fever and watch Fever fans across the country."
Clark smashed a new WNBA rookie scoring record with an impressive career-high 35 points against the Wings. She nailed six out of fourteen from beyond the arc and was flawless with 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, adding eight assists and three steals to her tally.
Following this achievement, Clark now holds the record for the most points, assists, and 3-pointers made by a rookie in a single season. The Fever clinched the No. 6 seed in the WNBA playoffs, marking their return to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Reflecting on the last game of the regular season, Clark admitted, "I thought we could have executed better at the end. I had a few turnovers, that can't happen, but we made plays when we needed to, and I'm glad we got the win," adding optimistically, "It's only going to get better from here on out."
The emergence of star players like Clark and her high-stakes games against rivals such as Reese, Wilson, DiJonai Carrington, and Chennedy Carter has sparked a buzz online. Their thrilling performances have captured the imagination of fans, fuelling conversations about league expansion, equal pay, physicality, and cultural and race tensions within the sport.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke to NBC about the league's increasing sponsorships, comparing the rivalry between Reese and Clark to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. "The WNBA players are really looked at now as kind of cultural icons. And when you have that, you have a lot of attention on you. There's no more apathy. Everybody cares."
Engelbert likened the dynamic between Clark and Reese to the famous rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, which began in 1979 when the two rookies entered the league from a big college rivalry.
"It is a little bit like that Bird-Magic moment," she said. "You need rivalry in sports, that's what makes people watch."
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I'm sorry, it did need saving because there are way too many New Fans that are just learning who these players and Teams are. So Thank you Caitlin for bringing excitment to The WNBA. You are the one who showcased all these Players.
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