Is Caitlin Clark a bigger star than any of the young NBA talent?

[nate33]

No. Not even close

Clark is way bigger and more important to the WNBA than any NBA star is to the NBA, but that still doesn't make her much of a star because nobody watches the WNBA.

Last year, the NBA produced a revenue of $10.58 billion. The WNBA produced a revenue of $200 million. The NBA is literally 50 times bigger than the WNBA. So even if Clark is such a big star that she is personally responsible for half of the WNBA's revenue, that only an impact of $100M. A young NBA star like Anthony Edwards only needs to be responsible for 1% of the NBA's popularity to equal Clark's impact.

Star figures transcend things like ratings though. More people know LeBron as a figure than ever actually watch NBA games. Simone Biles is a big star but who really pays attention to gymnastics outside of once every 4 years.

As someone who doesn't even watch the WNBA, I find Clark mentioned a lot more now in general media than most of the NBA star's today. I've just never encountered that before, because yeah generally the reach of a WNBA player is about 100x less than an NBA player.

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.

Revenue, not media hype, is a much more accurate measurement of how much people actually care about these things.

[D.Brasco]

No. Not even close

Clark is way bigger and more important to the WNBA than any NBA star is to the NBA, but that still doesn't make her much of a star because nobody watches the WNBA.

Last year, the NBA produced a revenue of $10.58 billion. The WNBA produced a revenue of $200 million. The NBA is literally 50 times bigger than the WNBA. So even if Clark is such a big star that she is personally responsible for half of the WNBA's revenue, that only an impact of $100M. A young NBA star like Anthony Edwards only needs to be responsible for 1% of the NBA's popularity to equal Clark's impact.

Star figures transcend things like ratings though. More people know LeBron as a figure than ever actually watch NBA games. Simone Biles is a big star but who really pays attention to gymnastics outside of once every 4 years.

As someone who doesn't even watch the WNBA, I find Clark mentioned a lot more now in general media than most of the NBA star's today. I've just never encountered that before, because yeah generally the reach of a WNBA player is about 100x less than an NBA player.

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.

Revenue, not media hype, is a much more accurate measurement of how much people actually care about these things.

I don't think it's so clear cut using the argument for Clark and women's sports promotion. Angel Reese, I'd definitely agree, but the fandom for Clark seems quite organic, a lot of her fans seem to be men as well.

As for revenue, I don't have the stats on hand but again, I'd wager Clark is making more money off of endorsements than her NBA star equivalents. As I mentioned I don't follow the WNBA but I'm seeing in her more ads than most NBA players now. I think that's the definition of a transcendent star.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

No surprise. Outside or Lebron and Curry, she's a bigger star than all the rest of the NBA's elite. I wouldn't limit it to just young stars.

Who do you think your grandma knows more? Caitlyn Clark or Giannis and Jokic? Yeah, going with Caitlyn.

maybe america granmas

[Shock Defeat]

No. Not even close

Clark is way bigger and more important to the WNBA than any NBA star is to the NBA, but that still doesn't make her much of a star because nobody watches the WNBA.

Last year, the NBA produced a revenue of $10.58 billion. The WNBA produced a revenue of $200 million. The NBA is literally 50 times bigger than the WNBA. So even if Clark is such a big star that she is personally responsible for half of the WNBA's revenue, that only an impact of $100M. A young NBA star like Anthony Edwards only needs to be responsible for 1% of the NBA's popularity to equal Clark's impact.

Star figures transcend things like ratings though. More people know LeBron as a figure than ever actually watch NBA games. Simone Biles is a big star but who really pays attention to gymnastics outside of once every 4 years.

As someone who doesn't even watch the WNBA, I find Clark mentioned a lot more now in general media than most of the NBA star's today. I've just never encountered that before, because yeah generally the reach of a WNBA player is about 100x less than an NBA player.

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.

Revenue, not media hype, is a much more accurate measurement of how much people actually care about these things.

You speak like what you are saying is correct, but it's not at all.

Look at TV ratings. Caitlin Clark games averaged 1.8M viewers on national TV. The average ESPN/TNT NBA game averages 1.5M viewers this season.

So Caitlin clark already outdraws the average NBA game. She is more popular.

[LockoutSeason]

Yes, she easily is.

The NBA has done an awful and horrendous job marketing the new generation.

They’re too stuck on Lebron, and Steph, and KD. Milking that teat beyond death.

The problem is Adam Silver. Lebron, Curry and even KD, those are all stars from the Stern generation that Silver is milking.

But star since Adam took over has the NBA been marketed well? Yeah, a lot of foreigners, understandable, but American stars like James Harden, AD, Westbrook, Kawhi, Tatum, etc. have all been marketed poorly. The NBA was doing a much better job of marketing guys like Stephon Marbury and Steven Francis back in the day.

Lebron, Steph, and KD are Silver’s generation, not the Stern generation.

Other than milking Magic, Bird, and MJ, Stern never was able to market any stars either. Silver is having the same problem now that his cash cows are aging.

[Percentsign]

No surprise. Outside or Lebron and Curry, she's a bigger star than all the rest of the NBA's elite. I wouldn't limit it to just young stars.

Who do you think your grandma knows more? Caitlyn Clark or Giannis and Jokic? Yeah, going with Caitlyn.

maybe america granmas

No, she's bigger than them worldwide

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore/TIMESERIES/1749829800?hl=en-US&tz=240&hl=en&q=%2Fg%2F11mw7j6xkf,%2Fm%2F0pdnj7h,%2Fg%2F11fxc1n884,%2Fm%2F0110q02h&sni=3

[bisme37]

My grandma is dead but my mom is old and she knows all the Celtics, plus Bron, Steph, Draymond, Giannis, Luka, KD, Jokic, Wemby, Embiid I think, Paul George for some reason, Booker because he dated a Kardashian, Haliburton and Brunson after this years playoffs, and probably a handful of other guys. And she knows there's a guy in OKC she's trying to think of but can never remember SGA's name haha.

She also knows Caitlin Clark from when CC was blowing up in the college Final 4 a couple years ago but hasn't mentioned her since.

I just realized I have absolutely no point here, so yeah, this concludes my post about my mom.

[Texas Chuck]

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.
.

Heres something that really confuses me. The NBA players support women's hoopers almost universally. They go to games, they talk about them on social media, share their highlights etc..

Random dudes on the internet though. Super threatened by the very idea anyone could care about women's sports just because they don't.

This despite the USWNT is a much bigger draw than the men's team. Every time the Olympics rolls around the biggest ratings draws are around women's gymnastics or figure skating or around a star female swimmer or track athlete or.....

First college athlete with a 7 figure NIL deal was Paige....

I do not understand why some of you hate women getting attention in sports. Nobody is demanding you enjoy it or anything, but this continued need to disparage it is weird.

[Wingy]

Not even close man. You're telling me you're all watching a game headlined by Clark over a game headlined by the likes of Tatum, Ant, Shai, Wemby, Luka, Hali, Brunson, KD, Kawhi, AD, Kyrie etc? Don't lie to yourselves.

She's probably more of a household name than any of those guys, not sure what that means for ratings.

That person’s the only one lying to themself.

I agree from the international fan’s perspective, but in the US?

I know it’s hard to fathom, but this is one of the most basketball-myopic “places” in the entire world.

Even the most casual of casuals has probably at least heard of Clark’s existence even if they couldn’t recognize her if she sat beside them. Anthony Edwards? Nikola Jokic? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Please.

Even as a sports lover, look how little one can know outside of their main bubble-

NHL
There are Tkachuk brothers (Matt, I think, and another), Syd Crosby still around I assume. Ovechkin, but I might not have remembered if not for the goals chase this year. McDavid. Just remembered Bedard (due to Bulls board only though). That’s it for me.

MLB
Shohei, Trout, Judge, Soto, Mookie, Devers, Vlad Jr, Biggio Jr (mostly regional to me, or associated with players from yesteryear). Harper. That’s it, and I forgot Harper and only remembered looking at the standings to see teams.

Would I recognize other names as NHL or MLB if explicitly mentioned to me? Yes, some. But I’m also one that checks espn regularly, and listens to sports radio. It’s crazy realizing lately that I can’t name a single MLB pitcher not named Ohtani (who isn’t even pitching).

The fact that people don’t know NBA stars, especially in the current ‘face of the league’ drought, shouldn’t be surprising.

[Yoshun]

I'd say so. Pretty much everyone I know, male and female, knows who she is.

Not many people outside of my friends who watch basketball know who Cooper Flagg or Wemby are.

[Optms]

Which numbers? Where?

How many people know her in Italy, China, Greece, Spain? France, Serbia or wherever.
Nobody watches WNBA overseas.

Compare WNBA ratings pre and before the Clark injury and there you go. Then compare the numbers before and after Giannis and Jokic were drafted. Or whenever they are injured. Do league numbers go down? no? The argument you are making about overseas play is irrelevant as well. Giannis and Jokic are foreign players who of course will be known more overseas. I'm simply evaluating the impact Clark has had in her first year in a league and what that has done for the league in terms of dollars and eyes. She has moved the needle. Jokic isn't moving anything but his ponies. Giannis meanwhile is only relevant because he could be traded to more relevant markets. No one was paying attention to him this year.

Clark doesn't need a big market to be relevant or even be in a popular sport. She is a marketing machine and turns trash into gold no matter where she plays.

Giannis and Jokic are global sports icons.
Clark is known only inside the US.
Your whole point about stardom means nothing if you don't understand this.

Kobe Bryant was colossal in China. Not only in the US. That was the difference with LeBron and any other in Beijing's Olympics.
The others were stars in the US back then. Kobe was universal.

Enough with this nonsense.

She's only been in the WNBA for one year and you are comparing her worldwide stardom with two foreign players who have benefited from playing in one of the worlds most popular leagues? Jokic and Giannis are nobodies without the NBA marketing machine behind them. The NBA has made them stars. Clark has made and is making the WNBA relevant in contrast.

The only one who doesn't understand the numbers and trajectory she's on is you.

[at87on]

More non-sports fans in north america will know Clark than Jokic or Giannis.

Even globally, only basketball fans are going to know Jokic and Giannis.

Assuming Clark does the samething she's been doing on the court in 2028, she will be a global super star (among women who are not basketball fans).

[nate33]

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.
.

Heres something that really confuses me. The NBA players support women's hoopers almost universally. They go to games, they talk about them on social media, share their highlights etc..

Random dudes on the internet though. Super threatened by the very idea anyone could care about women's sports just because they don't.

This despite the USWNT is a much bigger draw than the men's team. Every time the Olympics rolls around the biggest ratings draws are around women's gymnastics or figure skating or around a star female swimmer or track athlete or.....

First college athlete with a 7 figure NIL deal was Paige....

I do not understand why some of you hate women getting attention in sports. Nobody is demanding you enjoy it or anything, but this continued need to disparage it is weird.

You are misreading me.

I'm not at all threatened by Caitlin Clark or the WNBA in general. I really enjoy watching her play. But the media coverage of the league is wildly out of line with the league's popularity. A lot more people are interested in, say, MLS soccer, which generates 2.5 times the revenue of the WNBA, but there is no media coverage of it whatsoever.

[Wingy]

That's because the media is trying desperately to prop up women's sports.
.

Heres something that really confuses me. The NBA players support women's hoopers almost universally. They go to games, they talk about them on social media, share their highlights etc..

Random dudes on the internet though. Super threatened by the very idea anyone could care about women's sports just because they don't.

This despite the USWNT is a much bigger draw than the men's team. Every time the Olympics rolls around the biggest ratings draws are around women's gymnastics or figure skating or around a star female swimmer or track athlete or.....

First college athlete with a 7 figure NIL deal was Paige....

I do not understand why some of you hate women getting attention in sports. Nobody is demanding you enjoy it or anything, but this continued need to disparage it is weird.

You are misreading me.

I'm not at all threatened by Caitlin Clark or the WNBA in general. I really enjoy watching her play. But the media coverage of the league is wildly out of line with the league's popularity. A lot more people are interested in, say, MLS soccer, which generates 2.5 times the revenue of the WNBA, but there is no media coverage of it whatsoever.

The reason is primarily Clark.

[Bloodbather]

Not even close man. You're telling me you're all watching a game headlined by Clark over a game headlined by the likes of Tatum, Ant, Shai, Wemby, Luka, Hali, Brunson, KD, Kawhi, AD, Kyrie etc? Don't lie to yourselves.

It's not about us, though. We're NBA fans posting on an NBA forum, of course we'll watch the NBA stars.

Clark has crazy appeal. Her games don't have the advantage of featuring other big stars or famed franchises yet they get a lot of eyeballs watching. Adjusting for everything, I'd say she's more of a a household name than most of those guys in the US.

I say the US, because this is very much a US-specific phenomenon. Very few people follow US collegiate sports outside the US so she doesn't have much of a following.

[Chuck Everett]

She was more popular than the WNBA while still in college. And I would say she's more popular in America than any male American basketball player as well, if we judge it based on things like tv ratings and road sellouts. The numbers are the numbers.

[Ugly0598]

No. She is a reason to stay away from the WNBA. Very selfish basketball player.

[BelgradeNugget]

I would say yes

It's easy to over estimate the actual global reach of NBA stars, Wemby is from France and France's population is roughly 70 million, and it's not like Wemby is going to be a household name today in France. Besides that, it's not like German are checking extensively for Wemby, unless they are also NBA fans, same for Spain or Portugal, or whatever other country. Generally people are fans of players from their country.

I've heard Caitlin Clark's name from people that don't watch the NBA, or care about the NBA. I see Caitlin Clark on TV all the time, I think people who watch sports in general have a ton of respect for Caitlin Clark while, in general most people don't know a lot of the young guys in the NBA, and it shows with today's finals having 2 young stars and being not viewed.

I will say that Luka's move to LA has raised his profile immensely, it has drawn more attention to Luka and the NBA, and I could see an argument for Luka being more popular than CC in both America and Globally.

Luka was already more popular in America and globally. He was a big star in Europe way before he come to the NBA, and immediately become superstar in the NBA. His trade was more of a sad story of young star being betried by franchise he loved and wanted to stay there for his career. He almost cryed on multiple occasions, and finaly when he first come back to Dallas he couldn't hold tears. You can make a sad movie with that script.

[Hoop Hunter]

Yes, She's one of the most popular athletes in the world, Man or Women. She's a special case, never seen anything like it.

She's practically prime Jordan in popularity.

[Lalouie]

As far as I know none of the young NBA Talent has raised the revenue of the NBA the way Caitlin Clarke has raised the revenue and awareness of the WNBA

I can can imagine the value of SGA and Caitlin Clark around the United States is as wide as the Pacific Ocean