https://i.imgur.com/1iNdUMH.gif

This is a great point, and I meant to mention Plum earlier, but forgot.

Perfect example of it being about her skill set and looking like the GOAT female basketball player. She's must see TV, and there's just never been a single female basketball player that you can say that about before her.

Wonder how much NIL has played a factor as well.

Plum shot 343 career 3s and had a higher % than Clark. Wtf, you racist bastards didn't watch?

To be fair, they aren't claiming racism, just that race is a factor in her popularity. As if to say it's impossible for a black female player to be that popular.

I just don't see how you can make that argument after seeing MJ and Lebron's popularity being black male basketball players. They couldn't possibly be any more popular.

I think Gigi may have possibly been.

It's not about race, it's about individual marketability. How else can you explain that probably the most recognized athletes worldwide are Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Patrick Mahomes.

And people want to act like Angel Reece isn't also some household name. I guarantee you Caitlin Clark is #1 and Reece is #2 for all of women's basketball.

God damn.

The only reason anyone even knows Reece's name is because of Caitlin Clark. If she didn't play the same time period as Caitlin Clark, then no one would give a shit about her. Clark has done more for women's basketball than any person in existence.

I literally did not know who Kelsey Plum was until this Caitlyn Clark media hype train got me looking up women's basketball stuff.

I mean clark is way more marketable and lots of people piggyback off her success. But Reese was building a big following before she ran into clark. She was the top nil athlete in 2023, not clark. This season clark exploded and is now untouchable. But angel would have still had a decent following by womens bball standards with or without clark. That’s not the best example.

People started watching Clark because she routinely sinks Steph Curry threes.

But it's the assists that are most impressive and if her teammates could regularly make layups her assist record would be untouchable.

I agree. She isn't a one trick pony. Sort of a Magic/Curry combo player.

Well we're gonna see if race isn't a factor by how folks treat Juju Watlins. Because imo she's a superstar and a better allround talent than Clark. Also the young phenom Kaleena Smith already has those logo threes in her bag aswell as being able to score on all three levels so again we'll see how she is treated aswell because both of them are generational players imo.

She looks legit.

https://i.redd.it/ascaz0lvcik61.jpg

I've never seen either play but if they are fun to watch it doesn't matter. That's why is you watch MJ it's just different. He held people's attention with the style. It was more than just moves and skill set. Mahomes is the same way. People may have similar numbers, but he plays the game in a way that keeps you wanting more.

Logo threes and solid fundamentals are fine, but those things alone won't retain viewers long-term.

The next evolutionary step for the game will hopefully be a player who can easily play above the rim and physically dominate, like a female Shaq. No more barely dunking with one outstretched hand despite standing 6'-7"...it's time for 2-hand power dunks from a standstill.

We all know race is 100% a factor for you...

You mean like plum and ionescu who were excellent college players with barely the buzz of clark? Clark gets buzz because of how she plays. Steph wasn’t necessarily the best in the game but he was exciting to watch. Trying to compare clark to someone like juju is like comparing Steph to Shai.

Lol keep crying because JUJU is better bro ROFL

Clark hasn't won anything to be compared to Steph tbh. And Ionescu got herself a big bag with Nike so she certainly got some privileges.

Hell Yea, all those final four and Championships for Steph in college dwarfs Caitlin...

Clark is a loser. That's not a criticism it's a fact. We'll see if she changes that in the wnba now.

Was Mahomes a "loser" coming out of college? By your logic, he'd have to be.

So Steph was a loser too? Mahomes? Should we go on?

Two National Championship teams with Clark being the only Iowa player in the top 6 playing in the game...

You look stupid.

I'd never heard of Reese until she ran her mouth to Clark. That's her big claim to fame. I didn't know who Caitlin Clark was until this thread and then heard a bunch more about her in the media.

Iowa/Clark has the top 3 most viewed WNCAA games in history. They also have the 6th highest viewed game in history. LSU and Reese have the 3rd and 6th highest rated games, but it's only because they played Clark. Without Clark women's college basketball is the same boring crap it always is. Clark has eyes on the WNBA. If Clark wasn't around and it was Reese as the biggest WNBA rookie, then people still wouldn't care. Clark has done more for those girls than anyone and they're gonna talk shit about her. Hell Reese doesn't get near the amount of money for endorsements if Clark doesn't exist.

Race is a factor.

There's a never ending list of comments from angry black women on social media to prove it. If even half of them would buy something to support Juju or Keleena they'll have more than enough leverage and demand to knock down a shoe deal right away.

My money would be on it not happening, because it's easier to just bitch about something than to actually do anything.

She lost back to back finals. That's a loser nomatter how much you wanna sugarcoat it.

She lost two finals. That by definition is a loser. Take emotion out of it and just look at the FACTS.

Clark got her deals due to her talent right? So all I'm saying is if it's all about "talent" then Juju and Kaleena should expect similar deals in the years to come. If that's not how it goes then I guess it would come down to that same old thing again called white privilege. But we'll see. I actually would be surprised if they don't get what they deserve as their talent is just too overwhelming to be ignored.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever play the Connecticut Sun tonight at 6:30 pm Central Time on ESPN2

Huh? Endorsement deals aren't driven by talent level, they're driven by marketability. A massive part of Clark's marketability is her talent level though, and she's already proven several times over by many different metrics that she's the biggest draw EVER in the sport of women's basketball.

Yeah of course Caitlin clark is miles ahead of everyone. She’s easily the biggest thing to happen to women’s basketball and it’s not even close. This isn’t about who’s more marketable because it’s clark by a landslide . But angel was one of the very very few in college basketball that would've been marketable even without Clark. Obviously not nearly to the same level but decently famous considering sec women's basketball was already pretty popular in ways that the WNBA never was. But she's the exception, not the rule.

Clark playing against great teams in Carolina and LSU helped things let's be honest about it. The ratings for Iowa games weren't huge for every game of their march madness runs.

This is just the old guard that is just pissy because the WNBA never became what they wanted it to be. The jemele hills of the world who just hunt for things to be outraged about. These are the dipshits outraged that Caitlin grew the game in ways they couldn't rather than embracing what she can do for the game. That being said, juju is really fun to watch, coming from a guy who finds a lot of WNBA players to be boring and awkward to watch.

Last time I checked Angel Reese has more followers than Clark on ALL social media platforms. Reese has a unique following and is clearly marketable too.

Still not watching lulz

Wrong.

The WNBA fan base is so small talent alone is worthless if it isn't marketable. They should expect nothing and deserve nothing. They should earn everything. If Juju and Kaleena can't show they have a following that is willing to put their money where their mouth is they'll just be good/great players. If they maintain character, build a fan base, keep playing well, and get lucky enough to be a part of some big spotlight moments they will have earned whatever that following appears to be worth.

Juju broke records last season and lead her team to the quarterfinals as a rookie which is USC's most successful run in several years. With Clark and Reese gone she is set to be the face of women's college ball. She's likely to break more records and her roster just added a second star in Kiki Iriafen and has a recruiting class rated number one this year. So everything is falling into place for Juju to do well.

Kaleena has a year or so before she hits the college scene and tbh she's one of the most talented prospects the women's game has ever scene. Her long distant shooting is already Clark like. So if that continues in college why wouldn't she get the same rewards if she has success?

Clark had her wnba debut tonight and didn't look great tbh. Costly turnovers and struggled to get assists or points in the paint. Three point shot improved as the game went on but the other team were killing indiana from three so Clark's threes weren't really effective. She'll get better but she's going up against streetwise vets who know every trick in the book.

It’s telling watching a clearly racist poster hate on a player based strictly on race.

If CC was black, dude would be over the top promoting her, instead he makes claims of multiple run of the mill players being “generational” while downplaying a truly generational player based on race.

Angel Reese is a punk bitch, **** her

The fact that this goofball thinks Juju and Kaleena are "run of the mill players" tells me he's an utter clown that knows absolutely nothing about women's basketball smh ROFL

Won't someone think of poor Juju and her AT&T and Nike commercials. Why can't she get any exposure and love? Caitlin Clark had how many national commercials as a freshman?

I could care less about her. But it's just inaccurate to say she isn't or wasnt marketable. You having a strong reaction shows that you definitely know who she is.

Her talent has lead her this far and she is the new face of the sport. But that pales in comparison to Clark getting a 25m dollar deal with Nike. Juju has to prove she's worth the hype no doubt. But if she does will she get her rewards? That is the ultimate question.

Clark already breaking records in her first game. Most turnovers in a debut in WNBA history with 10. She was 2-10 with 8 turnovers when being guarded by her primary defender. Gonna be a long season for her to adjust to this level I’m guessing.

She’s going to be just fine.

I think most of us would jump at the opportunity to experience a life like hers at such a young age. I'm glad she's living her dreams and is going to be able to provide for her family for generations to come, simply off of her success over the last ten years. A version of the American dream only few get to achieve.

Yeah, I mean jokic is a 3 time nba. SGA is incredibly exciting on the court.They dont have a fraction of stephs star power. Lots and lots of great players of all colors are less marketable for different reasons. Taurasi, sue bird and Breanna Stewart are the best white players in the game and don't have nearly the star power of Clark. The fact is that Clark has popped in ways that decades of black and white women's bball players have not.

LOL Jocic is Serbian and Serbs are notorious. It's as easy to get punched in the face in Belgrade as it is anywhere in the US. There's a Serbian BigBrother show where it's just people back-handing and punching one another all day (sort of funny). Jokic's brothers exhibit normal behavior. So I'm not surprised that this Euro isn't a corporate draw.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ghwGgwbopWY?si=B6H8v3KBU64YBh23" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There will be an adjustment period with a new team, but the "best college player in history" should have little trouble adjusting to the WNBA, considering rookies have stellar seasons in the NBA.

Well, I mean she's literally had just 1 month to prepare and even less time to officially practice with her team. So there's that.

Yea do people not realize that she was just playing in a NC a few weeks ago?

Like I said, there will be an adjustment period, but she's supposedly the best college player ever. She should be dominant in short order.

Most sports give a player full offseason to learn the playbook, build chemistry with teammates, especially for someone who plays like a quarterback. Let alone someone who plays for the worst team in the league and absorbs double teams with an assigned defensive assasin on her.

Excuses.. lulz

I guess people have completely forgotten how many hot takes there were in Steph Curry's rookie year about how he can't do it with the big boys



how did that turn out

Clark had another stinker tonight as her team got blown out by 36 points and Clark only had nine points off eight shots. She was off the ball much more than in game one and she seemed a little frustrated. The way it's looking right now Indiana are in for a long season and may be in play for their third number one pick in three years.

Y'all following the WNBA? Pound grass seriously

There's a thread on here talking about Taylor fecking Swift and you think this is bad? :D

Caitlin Clark needs a better coach.

You post in this thread more than anyone else and all the posts are bad.

If someone was trolling the Taylor Swift thread they'd get called out too.

Saw a little of the game. Not digging the wnba much. It seems a lot more physical but also clunkier. She needs to get better, but her coach and teammates aren't doing her any favors. It's weird that they keep spacing her in the corner or running these lazy pick and rolls which only get her doubled. She needs time to adjust but she'll be fine. The game clearly needs her because everyone else on the court is boring AF.

All the posts are bad? I'm merely talking about Clark's games in the wnba. Wtf is "bad" about that? ROFL

I watched part of a press conference and wondered if she was the reason they were drafting in the one spot.

It'll be a shame if the WNBA wastes this opportunity because the league itself wasn't prepared for the players that were coming.

The offense was really weird. They had a point guard that had no interest in running the offense through Clark. Her role is to stand on the corner which seems like the worst spot to put her. When Clark took point and they plugged in a shooting guard, clark went on a run. When they pick and rolled, their #1 pick last year didn’t roll and clark ended up in a trap. And even still that #1 pick was missing wide open layups. So yeah it’s a combo or clark being very raw, her teammates showing why they were last last year, but also the coaching seems pretty bad because it seems like they’re badly misusing her

And then I don’t get why the wnba set this up so that the next 2 games are against the same damn opponents. Doesn’t make sense.

You're in here going game by game talking about how she's getting owned in her first and second games as a rookie as if it somehow supports your theory that she is overrated or whatever. I really can't be bothered anymore to read your posts in detail to be honest

Clark was 1/7 from three and 2/8 overall and wasn't getting to the foul line much either. She also had three turnovers. She was just poor on the night regardless of the coaching and her teammates not performing.

There are too many WNBA games for me to waste time to concern myself. Give her a few years. Let this hype die for a bit and let her develop

Man, I'm shocked UChieffy didn't bump this thread today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How does not ONE single person on Caitlin Clark’s team not call that screen out to her? Shout it. Over and over and over until she hears you. This is taught in middle school. <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/eRNkcxyhQU">pic.twitter.com/eRNkcxyhQU</a></p>&mdash; Hey Its Big Dan (@DanRoberts1988) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanRoberts1988/status/1791922486138855599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He's by far one of the most obvious racists on this entire site .

Bwahaha you're a deluded d/ckhead who clearly doesn't know what the word "racist" means smh get educated you fool LMAO

She had some decent threes and some lovely assists but once again eight turnovers undermined her performance. They were better this game but clearly they aren't on new york's level.

Meanwhile Angel Reese just won her first game!!..chew on that haters :evil:

^^^Wow, this guy is heated over a WNBA game.

A WNBA game...

Did I mention he's heated over a WNBA game?

Are you claiming "defense" by the built in safety mechanism, of the literal defination, that minorities can't be racist? Because many of your posts over the years appear to be racially motivated. So, I can certainly understand if someone takes that opinion in this case...Perhaps the correct term to describe your motivation should be the culturally adopted term of "reverse racism." Which, by the way, is also not given credence by a legal defination. Isn't that convenient?

Bottom line, definition or no definition - if a particular point of view is racially motivated, then it should be considered racist, no matter which side it comes from. People shouldn't get to hide behind semantics.

Find me something I've said that is "racist" then? I'm all ears.

It's strange when people start hating the person due to the media's obsession.... this doesn't at all seem like a Tom Brady situation, where he basks in the attention and goes out of his way to be in the spotlight.

I could very well be missing something, but doesn't seem like Clark is that type of person at all... the media being obsessed with her has nothing to do with her own thoughts on adjusting to a new league and so forth.

Unless she's been quoted as saying she's going to dominate from day one (going out on a limb thinking she has probably said the opposite), why the hell would anyone be so triggered by every little struggle?

Go laugh at the talking heads and ESPN who put her on the pedestal, dummies.

When people suggest she's "the best women's college player ever" then yes she has been overrated imo. However this is the WNBA now and now it's time to see if the hype is justified. She's had flashes of her great shooting but there's still a lot of work to do on her allround game. When she faces lesser competition then we'll see if she can start to dominate.