Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark is having the sort of impact in North American Sports that we haven’t seen since Michael Jordan. Since Clark entered the league, the WNBA has seen a dramatic increase in television viewership and game attendance numbers.
The increases are already paying dividends. Last season, for the first time in league history, every team began flying on chartered planes. There are also more teams, as the league expands at an exponential rate.
The Golden State Valkyries are set to begin their inaugural season this summer, with both Toronto and Portland receiving teams next season, and even more expansion teams coming down the pipeline after that.
It’s not hard to see why Clark is having such a monumental effect on the league. The sharpshooter ended her rookie campaign with First-Team honors and being named the Kia WNBA Rookie of the year, while breaking the single-season record for assists.
Unfortunately, Clark’s rookie season ended early with a loss to the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs.
However, Clark is ready for her second season, and there’s no reason why she won’t win MVP this summer. After struggling with the physicality of the league in the early part of her rookie season, Clark has put on a considerable amount of muscle this offseason, and that’s not all.
The Fever retooled their roster around Clark over the offseason, adding notable players such as Sydney Colson, DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham, and Natasha Howard to complement her game.
The much improved roster will allow Clark to play without being doubled at as high a rate as she was last season, which means that her scoring numbers should take a leap. All in all, the 2025 WNBA MVP may be a one-horse race.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.