Caitlin Clark’s Time magazine honor divides the WNBA
Clark was voted Time Athlete of the Year on December 11
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin ClarkLAPRESSE
Matt Barnes, 2017 NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, hit out at those playing down Caitlin Clark’s impact on women’s basketball after the 22-year-old star was voted Time Athlete of the Year on December 11.
Credited for transforming the WNBA and ushering in a new era of attention and popularity, the Indiana Fever ace has taken the league by storm in her debut season and averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per-game on her way to becoming Rookie of the Year.
So it’s no shock that if any women’s player was nominated for Athlete of the Year, it was her but that’s not how the likes of Sheila Johnson, owner of the Washington Mystics, have read it as she claimed the wider rookie class is why the sport is more popular then ever.
Some agreed with the 75-year-old, and some disagreed, and it turns out that Barnes is in the latter camp as he came to the defense of the point guard after she collected the historic accolade.
“She’s damned if she does,” Barnes told the “All the Smoke” podcast. “And she’s damned if she doesn’t.
“While the NBA ratings continue to drop over 30% as they try to figure out who’s going to fill the shoes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, the WNBA has a golden goose sitting in their league.
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“So instead of downplaying the magnitude of who she is and what she’s brought, enjoy the ride and take advantage of the ride and do everything you can do to show the fanbase why they should’ve been watching before Caitlin came along.”
Barnes did, however, concede she isn’t the sole reason for the boom in popularity as she also highlighted the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson as another peer. He did add, though, that Clark offers a “ton of opportunity” and “more money” than anyone else.
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Caitlin Clark will return to WNBA action on May 17 when she takes on Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Fever will look to kick off their campaign with a win under the stewardship of Stephanie White, who joined the team from the Connecticut Suns.
Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement sparks outrage as tickets reach insane prices
Tickets are going for eye-popping numbers
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin ClarkLAPRESSE
Caitlin Clark is set to receive a prestigious honor from the Iowa Hawkeyes on February 2, 2025 when the university will raise her number to the rafters and retire it.
The occasion will certainly be a memorable one for all those in attendance, as well as Clark, who averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game in her senior season with the team.
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She also became the NCAA’s all-time leader scorer in both the men’s and women’s divisions, showing just how profound her impact was on the sport during her time in Iowa.
However, with Clark’s number now set to join the likes of Megan Gustafson and Michelle Edwards in the rafters, ticket prices for the occasion have fans scratching their heads.
How much are tickets going for?
The game will see Iowa take on the USC Trojans, and to the surprise of nobody, there is already a huge demand for tickets.
As a result of that demand prices are hitting all-time highs, with the cheapest ticket on TickPick listed at a stunning $711. That is a huge increase on the previous lowest price, which was $283.
The figures have some fans wondering how it’s possible, and if the game should be moved to accommodate a bigger live audience.
“I would have had it in the football stadium & probably cashed out even more,” one fan wrote.
“Iowa that’s nasty work,” wrote another, who clearly isn’t a fan of the big price jump.
Another added: “Even with as good as Caitlin Clark, I still can’t bring myself to watch the WNBA.”
