Mike Tirico Didn't Hold Back When Asked About Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark's arrival in the WNBA is unlike anything the league has ever seen before.

As the No. 1 overall pick for the Indiana Fever, Clark has catapulted the WNBA to new heights — setting attendance and TV viewership records at ever turn.

Clark, an All-Star sensation in her rookie season, has completely shifted the way the general sporting public views women's basketball.

Not many athletes can say they've had such a profound impact on their sport. But according to legendary sports broadcaster Mike Tirico, Clark fits in the same category as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Tirico discussed Clark's earth-shattering impact on the sport during a recent episode of the SmartLess podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes.

"A lot of people talk about Caitlin Clark and what she's done with women's basketball," Tirico said. "The ratings are the likes of which we've never seen before. She's had an impact on that sport like Michael [Jordan] did in the NBA and Tiger [Woods] did [with golf]... They blew the roof and the ceiling off where the ratings were.

"That's going to be the mark that's going to be so hard to get for year's to come. It's the first time people have seen it, they wanted to be there to watch it and there was just something captivating about [these athletes]. They took it to a height that I don't think we'll see in sports again."

Tirico is in Paris to cover yet another Olympic Games for NBC Sports. Coverage of the 2024 event will begin with the Opening Ceremony on Friday.

Despite some serious backlash from Caitlin Clark fans, the WNBA rookie was left off the Team USA women's basketball roster that will go after its eighth consecutive gold medal this summer.