Haters Gonna Hate

How Caitlin clark is growing the WNBA and getting hate for it

Article by Benjamin Lonicer (17.10.2024)

Do you know who Zaccharie Risacher is? He is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft to the Atlanta Hawks. His total instagram following lies at around three million. Makes sense for the biggest talent of the year in arguably the biggest league in the world. Oh sorry. That’s Caitlin Clark’s, the WNBA’s first round pick this year, follower count. Zaccharie has around 100k. Only 3% of what she has. In fact, if we look at all the 1st round picks of the NBA, we would find Caitlyn at No. 3 in instagram followers. The seventh pick of the WNBA draft, Angel Reese, would tie for first in this list with 4.2 million followers next to the likes of Victor Wenbenyama and Anthony Edwards who are both NBA Superstars. This is despite the fact that the NBA still averages millions of views more than the WNBA especially during the playoffs. Looking at the follower counts we can tell that the WNBA is growing.

Clark is a major reason for this growth. The attendance at Fever games has risen astronomically. Clark’s first WNBA season has also been the best watched season on ESPN with an increase of 170%. Her fever also delivered the two most watched games on ABC and the most watched WNBA game on ESPN2. Her NCAA tournament (the US college championship) run with Iowa averaged more viewers than many of the men’s teams. She has ads with the big companies who advertise for sports like Gatorade or State Farm for a good reason. She broke the All-Time NCAA career scoring record held for over fifty years by Hall of Famer “Pistol” Pete Maravich. She broke the rookie point record in a game and in discussions she is regularly held in the top five or ten for “Most Valuable Player”. Clark enamours people with her entertaining playstyle. While women’s basketball was usually and still is dominated by a slow paced, she plays fast pace, full court passes and shoots the ball from half court. Her three point shot can single handedly drag a team that was once presumed lost to a close game. She, like Magic Johnson in the 80’s, is part of a generation rejuvenating and growing their league to heights never thought possible. For the modern game of basketball, she is the perfect player. A young star like that in the NBA would be welcomed with open arms by his colleagues around the league. So it’s weird when Clark answered, “Nobody gives me advice in game. I wish.” when asked about advice she has gotten from other players in the league. 

WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, who Clark grew up idolizing, denounced her claim to the Nr. 1 spot in the draft. She argued that Clark was going to have difficulties in the pros because the game is more physical and high class which the rookie showed none of sitting comfortably on top rookie of the year rankings. Instead she preferred Cameron Brink, because of her superior passing ability going even further and claiming she is the best female basketball player in the world. The same Cameron Brink that averaged half the amount of assists Clark did. Another WNBA legend Sheryl Swoops also got into the hating game. She argued that Clark was overrated by creating facts that seemed good and right and supported her argument. She’s playing against 20 year olds as a 25 year old she said (Clark was 22). And the all time NCAA scoring record that Clark broke was illegitimate as the 40 shots per which was too many for her taste (she took 21). Her attitude towards the young star is so negative, that she had to be taken off the Minnesota Lynx broadcast she usually works when they played the Fever.

Clarks biggest hater is undoubtedly Angel Reese. It started in the college season of 2023. The two athletes were poised as the best players on their respective title contenders. In the college final of 2023 Reese’s LSU got the better of Iowa and Caitlin Clark. They are the new times Magic and Bird, Wilt and Russel. Two phenomenal players coming in at the same time that grow into enemy roles, which you don't see much of anymore as the NBA and sports landscape in general as players are growing closer and “lovey dovey” with each other. While Clark hasn’t given any soundbite that indicates any sort of distaste and has handled the hate incredibly professionally. While Reese hasn’t said anything to the media directly the animosity is clear. Taunting in her face after winning the title. Celebrating a made three with everyone but Clark. Celebrating blatant unsportsmanlike conduct towards the Fever star. Coming into the college tournament, it was a toss up who was better. The same cannot be said after the tournament ended. Clark solidified her spot as the best college player and shut the door on any other chance Reese had to redeem herself the next time the two met. The negative attitude towards Clark seems to stem from jealousy. It just doesn't make sense that Clark is the big star. When you look at the landscape of women’s basketball Reese is the prototype that dominates. Tall, athletic, having that swag. Not a scrawny white girl from Iowa. They are usually only the point-guard that passes the ball.

This jealousy is also what the other players of the WNBA feel. German WNBA star Satou Sabally said it well, “The WNBA is more than just Caitlin Clark.” They have helped nourish the league and game for years. And then this young hot shot comes in and almost single handedly doubles the audience? There will then no doubt be jealousy. A “fuck you” attutude as the old Garde misdirects the anger of their shortcomings to the star who finally was to achieve mainstream media attention the players deserve. And then its also a white girl? It is a clash of cultures best exemplified in the way the LSU (Reese) and Iowa (Clark) warmed up before the 2023 championship. Iowa mainly consisting of white suburban girls were belting Taylor Swift and High School Musical while the mainly black LSU team was going off to rap bangers. Basketball and African American culture are intertwined beyond separable. Hence it makes sense when many who have grown up in this pre existing ecosystem will have difficulties when it is shaken up like it is currently.

When you look at the situation, you can find similarities to the situation Steph Curry came into. Both college phenoms revolutionized the game with the amount of threes they hit. Arguably both two of the brightest youngsters of their generations. Both became huge stars in their college years. But Curry was an underdog story. Clark has everything already and is only adding. She just recently won rookie of the year and is paving a way to becoming the best player in women’s basketball. But she’s not trying to take anything away from the establishment. She just wants to play basketball. The sooner the old Garde will accept her and accept that she can help her, the league can reach its true potential it deserves as one of the premier sports leagues in the USA. Outshining many and not just Zaccharie Risacher. (Sorry Zaccharie)

Sources:

“5 Times Caitlin Clark PROVED Her Haters Wrong!” YouTube, Hoop Reports, 11 Sept. 2024, youtu.be/nP7rjfPEbyQ?si=UE_6W7nZ30V8bg-g. 

Angel Reese (@angelreese5) • Instagram Photos and Videos, www.instagram.com/angelreese5/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Jope, Christian. “NBA VS WNBA: Revenue, Salaries, Attendance, Ratings.” World Sports Network, World Sports Network, 7 Oct. 2024, www.wsn.com/nba/nba-vs-wnba/. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/cadecunn1ngham/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/caitlinclark22/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/paolo5/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/theanthonyedwards_/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/wemby/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

Instagram, www.instagram.com/_zacch_10/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. 

“WNBA Delivers Record-Setting 2024 Season.” WNBA, 27 Sept. 2024, www.wnba.com/news/wnba-delivers-record-setting-2024-season#.