The Stephen A. Smith Show<\/a>,\u201d where they discussed the impact of Caitlin Clark on the WNBA.<\/p>\n\u201cI am a Caitlin Clark fan. I\u2019m not talking about her just as a player. I am talking about the marketing wizardry that comes associated with her,\u201d Smith admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in the saying, \u2018A rising tide lifts all boats.\u2019 Even though I am certainly not speaking about most or all, there were some who were resistant to the impact that she was bringing to the WNBA, and I was like, \u2018You\u2019re not seeing the big picture.\u2019 That\u2019s where I was coming from. Was I wrong in feeling that way?\u201d he asked Close.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually had the opportunity to coach Caitlin Clark in USA basketball,\u201d Close responded. \u201cEven back then, she had a charisma about her that was infectious around everyone she came in contact with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Close highlighted that belonging to rival teams should not necessarily hinder one\u2019s ability to appreciate the impact of others. She brought up examples of her own squad acknowledging what JuJu Watkins is doing over at USC, while the Trojans return the favor for UCLA\u2019s Lauren Betts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that you have to have a broader view of growing the game if you\u2019re really gonna appreciate it, as you referred to,\u201d Close continued. \u201cThe reality is that Caitlin Clark has raised a level of fan base that has broadened and deepened it, and we\u2019re all benefiting from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Close and Smith\u2019s comments come amid growing arguments around the alleged erasure of the WNBA\u2019s history. Critics continue to argue that in the rush to crown a new face of the league, the narrative has often framed Clark as a \u201cfirst\u201d rather than a continuation of greatness built by former players.<\/p>\n
A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s recent comments for her Time 2025 Athlete of the Year<\/a> cover further stoked the argument. The claim that Clark singularly salvaged the league bothered the four-time MVP winner.<\/p>\n\u201cLet\u2019s not lose the history,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt was erased for a minute. And I don\u2019t like that. Because we have tons of women that have been through the grimiest of grimy things to get the league where it is today.\u201d<\/p>\n
What makes this argument particularly fraught is that Clark herself has repeatedly acknowledged the players who paved the way. The disconnect lies less with the athlete and more with the ecosystem around her\u2013television segments, debate shows, and social media discourse that flatten history into a single storyline for more palatable, bite-sized narratives.<\/p>\n