Stephen A. Smith and Caitlin Clark (Image Source: GettyImages)
Ever since arriving in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has gained massive popularity, which acted against her. Despite increasing the league’s viewership, the Indiana guard has been the center of unnecessary altercations, criticism, and bias. While her teammates couldn’t come to her defense, veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith extended his support.
On a recent episode of the “Stephen A. Smith Show”, the host stated three stats to answer the ones who claim that Clark is being hyped for no reason. Smith started off by saying, “WNBA draft 2024 drew 2.46 million viewers to ESPN on Monday night, making it the most watched draft in WNBA history.”
The 56-year-old ESPN analyst boldly continued, “ABC announced it had its most-viewed opening weekend doubleheader ever with two games combined in an average of 1.5 million viewers. That marks a 143% increase from a WNBA doubleheader from ABC a year ago.”
Calling the Fever “the second worst team” in the WNBA, Smith further added, “Did you know that the Fever has been involved in three out of the four TV games that have garnered 1.3 million average viewers this season?”
The topic came up after Clark was pushed to the floor by opponent Chennedy Carter in a game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, which caught the eyes of many, even beyond the basketball court.
Tennis icon sends clear message about Caitlin Clark
There have been multiple instances when Caitlin Clark got physically outplayed by the big ladies in the league. However, her recent clash with the Sky shooting guard stunned the hoop enthusiasts, one of them being tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
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Navratilova said, “The players in the WNBA need to realize that Caitlin Clark is helping all of them, now and in the long run. Caitlyn is the tide that will raise all boats.” She further mentioned that she didn’t consider the Indiana rookie to be a “saint” but called out the “dirty play” by Carter.
The 67-year-old genius believes the best way to get back at others is by performing well on the hardwood. However, Clark and her teammates need a lot of such motivation as they have a 2-9 record and will be facing the Washington Mystics on Saturday, who have not secured a single win in the 8 games they have played till now.
