Throughout, she reports on Clark\u2019s unflappable grace and relentless competitive drive. Somehow, despite being constantly thrown into minefields of race, gender and white privilege, Clark almost always avoids missteps while social media, some opposing players and high-profile coaches question her skill and prominence (Geno Auriemma and Sheryl Swoopes look especially foolish in this realm). All the while, as Clark single-handedly boosts the W to new heights \u2014 opponents begin moving their home games against the Fever to larger arenas to capitalize on Clark\u2019s popularity \u2014 the league stumbles in the spotlight.<\/p>\n
Two examples stand out: In September, after the Connecticut Sun defeated the Fever in a first-round playoff series, the Women\u2019s National Basketball Players Association attempted to have Brennan\u2019s media credentials revoked. Their claim? Brennan was biased in favor of Clark and sought to make other players look bad by fueling \u201cracist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on social media.\u201d <\/p>\n
This all stemmed from Brennan asking Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington a couple of questions between games of the series about Carrington hitting Clark in the eye while reaching for the ball, a play that briefly forced Clark from the game but did not result in a foul. Brennan\u2019s questions were straightforward but Carrington and her teammates considered them unprofessional. Brennan was not censured and the incident, then and as reported in more detail in the book, shine a light on a league and players not ready for the kind of media coverage that comes with popularity and recognition.<\/p>\n
![\"Christine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2XJ5QIYOOVCWXK2KPSSSXVKPZU.jpg\")
Christine Brennan followed Caitlin Clark during her rookie season and detailed some of the stumbles made by the WNBA during its newfound spotlight. Courtesy of Scribner <\/p>\n
Brennan took note of a different problem during Commissioner Cathy Engelbert\u2019s state-of-the-league media availability before Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals. The commissioner spoke for 27 minutes about all the historic business and popularity measures the league achieved during the 2024 season without mentioning the person most responsible for those gains: Clark. Viewership, merchandise, ticket sales, online interest, sponsorships \u2014 all spiked because of soaring interest in all things Caitlin. Engelbert declined to discuss the snub beyond a text message months later in which she hid behind the fig leaf of viewing the league as being about collective talent, not one person.<\/p>\n