The Caitlin Clark Effect is the real deal, and so is the WNBA

Boston Globe

a day ago

But the WNBA is much more than just one player, and Clark is not the best player at this level, not yet. Familiarize yourself with two-time MVP A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier. But if Clark is the gateway nectar that gets people to drink up all the league and its players offer that's a W for the W.
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Last year's first-ever WNBA game at the Garden was a rousing success. In front of a sell-out crowd of 19,125, the Sun downed the Los Angeles Sparks, 69-61, in an electric and historic atmosphere. But it wasn't shown on national television, much to the dismay of then-Sun guard and 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington. She called that out.
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The league offered Sun vs. Sparks, one of the league's worst teams last season,
That's the Caitlin Clark Effect.
'I've had a lot of fun being in the spotlight and helping to grow this game and move it forward,' said Clark, prior to her WNBA debut. 'That's what I'm going to continue to do, but I think I know firsthand how talented this league is — whether it was me as a young kid or whether it's me now playing here — like how many talented players are in this league.
'The more we can share the love, the better this league is going to be.'
Amen.
Boston fans should consider themselves lucky that Clark is slated to hoop in the Hub. She's missed nine games this season, sitting out with quadriceps and groin injuries. Her characteristic long-range shooting flair has been MIA. While she's averaging 16.7 points and 9 assists per game, second in the WNBA, she's only shooting 28.9 percent from 3-point range and 37.4 percent overall.
The Fever, coached by former Sun coach Stephanie White, are an underwhelming 11-10, despite talent that includes Worcester's own aptly-named Aliyah Boston, as well as Kelsey Mitchell. Both joined Clark as WNBA All-Star selections.
That shows you how deep and difficult the WNBA is. It's a league with decorated and dedicated veterans. It's a league where roster spots are so precious that first-round picks aren't guaranteed to make their teams, even if they're not Belichickian busts.
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Clark already shares some history with New England's WNBA entry. She made her WNBA debut against the Sun in Connecticut in May 2024, scoring 20 points on 5 for 15 shooting while committing 10 turnovers.
The Fever and the Sun boast more bruising recent history.
The last time Clark played the Sun, she was
That retaliatory rampage was later upgraded by the league to a Flagrant-2 foul. Later in the contentious contest, Fever forward Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon, leading to another dust-up and the ejections of Cunningham, Sheldon, and Connecticut's Lindsay Allen late in a Fever victory on June 17.
Things were HEATED between the Sun and Fever tonight 😳
-Caitlin Clark T'd up
-Marina Mabrey T'd up
-Jacy Sheldon assessed flagrant
-Sophie Cunningham ejected
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
The physical confrontation involving Clark continues a polarizing narrative that the WNBA either isn't doing enough to protect its most marketable commodity or is giving her preferential treatment in a highly-competitive league replete with physical play and uneven officiating.
One thing is for sure, the outcry on social media when Clark was dropped by another white player was muted compared to when she was unceremoniously leveled by
Some conservatives attempted to co-opt Clark to buttress reverse racism and anti-DEI rhetoric. (Ironically, Mabrey was a teammate of Carter's at the time.)
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To her credit, Clark rejects being an avatar in the culture wars. Multiple times, she
Regardless of race, there's clearly some animosity – and jealousy — toward Clark. WNBA players voted her a ludicrous ninth among guards on their All-Star ballots. She finished first in the fan balloting and third in the media voting for the game, in which she will be a starter and captain on her home floor; the WNBA's All-Star game takes place in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Against the backdrop of welcoming the WNBA's biggest draw, Tuesday's marquee event resonates as an opportunity for Boston to showcase its worthiness for a WNBA team. Earlier this month,
Unfortunately, the rebuilding Sun are foils for the Fever. They enter Tuesday's WNBA Garden party with the league's worst record (3-18). Only Mabrey, absent since suffering a knee injury on June 20, and
Even White will be on the other sideline this time. But her words about the appeal of the WNBA, epitomized by the captivating Clark, ring true.
'We always say in women's basketball, if you watch us once, you will continue to come back.'
Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at