Caitlin Clark Gets New Nickname From Stephen A. Smith Amid WNBA Hype

Numbers don't lie, which is why Stephen A. Smith is convinced that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is the most impactful player right now when it comes to helping grow the WNBA.

Clark is undoubtedly the most popular WNBA player today, as proven by the record viewership numbers that the league has gotten in the games that she played in. In fact during the Fever's clash with Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on June 30th, the game averaged 1.9 million viewers, peaking at 2.7 million.

The Fever-Mercury showdown is the second most-watched WNBA game in ESPN history, only behind the June 23 battle between Clark's Indiana squad and Angel Reese's Chicago Sky that averaged 2.3 million viewers.

With those numbers proving that Clark is a blockbuster attraction, Stephen A. Smith shared that the Fever rising star is indeed the league's "Golden Goose."

"Despite the media hoopla and hype surrounding the Diana Taurasi statements made during this year’s Women’s Basketball Tournament that Caitlin Clark would be knocked down a peg when she starts playing in the WNBA, Sunday’s Fever-Mercury WNBA regular season game averaged 1.91 million viewers on ESPN, marking the fourth-largest WNBA audience since Memorial Day 2001," Smith shared before also noting the viewership numbers in Clark's games against Reese and the Sky.

The veteran sports analyst furthered on LinkedIn , "It must be noted that all these increased TV ratings have a common denominator, Caitlin Clark. She is the Golden Goose for the WNBA. Go W!"

"Golden Goose" is definitely a fitting nickname for Caitlin Clark in this instance. She just brings so much attention to the game. While the impact of Angel Reese and other players cannot be understated, what Clark brings is on an entirely different level.

There's a reason why Clark is also the top vote-getter in the All-Star fan voting.

Despite much of the attention being on Clark, though, the whole WNBA is still reaping the benefits with the increased attention.

Related: Fans Reveal Ideal WNBA Teammate For Caitlin Clark