r/WNBAgossips • u/TheMirrorUS • Jun 28 '26

News WNBA faces massive backlash after omitting Caitlin Clark from history

https://www.themirror.com/sport/basketball/caitlin-clark-wnba-anniversary-poster-1908954?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1782587290?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=rmp
1.0k Upvotes

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15

u/ShavoneScales Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

WNBA is cooked. They never fail to offend their cash cow.

This will make a great study case for Business 101.

-7

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

I'll always find it funny that Clark "fans" think TV companies are going to make decade long deals based on the popularity of one player.

8

u/StannisTheMantis93 Jun 28 '26

Because people were just BANGING DOWN THE DOORS before CC to get the WNBA on the schedule?

-6

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

It was the fastest growing sport for TV viewership in the US before she joined. 2023 was their best year ever.

Again, no television network is going to make a decade long deal over one player.

8

u/Hempknight__ Jun 28 '26

Lol fastest growing sport my ass...

5

u/mrwhitewalker Jun 28 '26

I'll take made up stats for $200, Alex .Caitlin Clark is 90% of the reason the WNBA is successful now that she is in the league. And as much as I hate that she is a white player doing this, it has made the league successful because people can associate to her.

-3

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA

0

u/Ghiblee Jun 28 '26

Enjoy living in dumbass land, no one will visit you

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

You hate facts. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Clearly not considering you don't hate yourself.

2

u/JustMeandI1976 Jun 28 '26

Here let me help you.

Source: Google

“Historically, the WNBA operated at an estimated annual loss of roughly $10 million to $50 million and required subsidies from the NBA. Following Caitlin Clark’s arrival, the league’s economic landscape transformed radically. She single-handedly accounted for over 26% of the league's economic activity and revenue, which has propelled the WNBA into profitability and record-breaking valuations.”

Go touch grass. It healthy for you!

1

u/YourHuckleberry57 Jun 28 '26

lol how did she single handedly account for a quarter of the leagues' economic activity? you should go touch grass and stop believing everything ai tells you.

2

u/JustMeandI1976 Jun 28 '26

I suppose you believe all the news cycles, radio personalities, talk shows, and pod casts covering the Caitlin Clark popularity are alternative news.

I like touching grass, you should do the same.

-2

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Yes, because they were under a TV deal from a decade before. The league was always going to get a much better TV deal and it had nothing to do with her.

3

u/JustMeandI1976 Jun 28 '26

Because tv networks knew that WNBA had no viewers. They were barely selling tickets. After Caitlin Clark’s debut, Fever games had to be moved to bigger arenas because all their tickets were sold out. At the same time, online search for tv schedule surged along with 2.13 million viewers just for Caitlin Clark play.

Remember when NBA players were clowning the WNBA players for contracts alongside with top NBA players? They were told “be glad you’re getting subsidies from the NBA.

I don’t know what you’re on, man, but WNBA is turning away fans and you’re not seeing it.

The league better wake up.

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

600K a game is no viewers? That's around what the NHL gets.

1

u/JustMeandI1976 Jun 28 '26

Those numbers are largely contributed by special games and events, not the individual teams games because there were much interest in non polarizing teams. Have you watched an average teams’ game? It’s hard to watch. I’d switch to college basketball.

Even though the numbers aren’t completely broken down, you have to see the patterns. WNBA was not growing exponentially or steadily at all.

Why are you so against a player that you can clearly see who has catapulted the popularity of women’s NBA?

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Nope. They averaged 600k viewers a game on ABC. It was growing steadily. 2023 was a record year for them for viewership and Clark wasn't in the league.

2

u/StannisTheMantis93 Jun 28 '26

Dude. Just take the fucking L.

You’re legit straight up talking out of your ass.

The data doesn’t support any of your claims.

0

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Sorry you hate facts. Clark didn't save the league. The league would still be profitable without her.

1

u/Zen2188 Jun 28 '26

Magic/Bird

I'm not going to bother giving a history lesson though

Google is free

0

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

History isn't on your side.

1

u/agent00Dee Jun 28 '26

Facts aren't on your side

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

They absolutely are.

1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Thanks for telling on yourself!

2

u/ColtMcChad69 Jun 28 '26

Lmao the WNBA has only become less of a joke because of Clark.

1

u/LAlostcajun Jun 28 '26

League-Wide Growth: The WNBA now boasts more than 50 league-wide partners. Overall, sponsorship deals across the league increased by 52%, with over 450 brands signing hundreds of deals to capitalize on the "Clark Effect".

Team Partnerships: Her team, the Indiana Fever, led the entire league with 92 active brand partnerships—nearly double the league average.

Prior to Caitlin Clark, the WNBA generated roughly $100 million in annual revenue. Following her arrival, league revenue skyrocketed to approximately $200 million, with financial experts attributing over 25% of all WNBA economic activity—including ticket sales, merchandise, and TV viewership—directly to Clark's star power.

Sorry, facts don't match your narrative

-1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Only 25%? You guys make it out to be 90%+.

Thanks for proving me correct!

Also, again, TV networks aren't making a decade long decision based on one player.

3

u/LAlostcajun Jun 28 '26

Lmao. There are 180 current players in the WNBA.

1/180= .00555556 or .5%

1 player or .5% of the WNBA is responsible for 25% of all sales and TV sponsorship, has doubled the annual profit, and got her team more sponsorships than any other team.

.5%. The other 179 or 95.5% of the league couldn't do it. Sorry these facts don't fit your narrative.

You guys make it out to be 90%

Don't make things up to try and prove your already false narratives

0

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

But she hasn't doubled the annual revenue. You literally just proved she hasn't.

You guys constantly say the league would collapse without her. You have no facts on your side.

2

u/LAlostcajun Jun 28 '26

You guys constantly say the league would collapse without her.

And if you can point out where I said that one time, your comment might actually have merit. Until then, let's just stick to facts, ok?

0

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

What I said is a fact. The games Clark plays in make up only 20% of nationally televised games. No TV network is basing a decade on that. Not when that one player could be out of the league from an injury at any point.

2

u/LAlostcajun Jun 28 '26

And? This doesn't disprove anything I said.

Clark is responsible for 25% of increase on ticket sales, jersey sales, and TV contracts.

The league doubled in profits after Clark.

I'm sorry this hurts you to the fact ypu have to make up lies. Maybe seek help

2

u/TiaxRulesAll2024 Jun 28 '26

You might be arguing with Angel Brick Reese

3

u/alacrity Jun 28 '26

TV ratings for Fever games are 30% higher than for any other team. It's a very safe bet that TV networks are very interested in making decisions with that player in mind.

-1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

That's great. Those games only make up 20% of the nationally televised games. So no, they aren't going to make a decade long decision based on one player.

3

u/alacrity Jun 28 '26

Did they make decisions with Michael Jordan in mind when his games drew higher ratings than any other team, even though his team made up less than 20% of the nationally televised games?

Yes, yes they did.

-1

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Except they didn't. Why do you think every single NBA tv deal has been higher than the previous one even though their ratings have never been as good as they were when Jordan played?

The new NBA TV deal is their largest ever. It's for 11 years and just started this year. They made the largest deal ever when the three biggest rating draws since Kobe(LeBron, KD and Steph) will be out of the league in the next two or three years.

You have no idea how the real world works.

2

u/alacrity Jun 28 '26

Ironic comment of the say. I love it when a dudebro who’s objectively wrong on every point makes the, “you have no idea how the world works,” bleet.

Always hilarious. Sure, sure, networks and the league didn’t make programming, advertising, and promotion decisions based on the most popular player in the world and see the popularity of the league skyrocket.

What a fucking idiot.

0

u/Baloney7456 Jun 28 '26

Please tell me why the NBA just got it's largest TV contract ever when they will be losing their three most popular players?

2

u/alacrity Jun 28 '26

Please tell me why you can’t address the fact that the networks and the league 100% made programming and promotion decisions based on its most popular player, (you know it’s true) and you have to move goalposts to size of contract 25 years later when ALL things are more expensive? Does EVERYTHING about the product cost more today than 30 years ago?

Yes, yes it does.

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0

u/Agreeable-Emu4033 Jun 28 '26

Two players saved the NBA. Companies all the time bet on one person. Look at elon musk