Apparently, Caitlin Clark’s services are no longer required.
At least that’s the conclusion Emmanuel Acho reached this week when he argued that the WNBA would actually be “better off” without her — despite repeatedly acknowledging that Clark is the primary reason the league is enjoying record popularity and unprecedented financial success in the first place.
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The former NFL player made the comments on his “Speakeasy” podcast while discussing the ongoing controversy surrounding Clark’s treatment by opponents, most recently the incident involving Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas.
“The W, at this junction in time, would be better off without Caitlin Clark because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive,” Acho said.
He continued:
“Caitlin Clark has gotten the WNBA over the necessary threshold they needed. Now, people are watching. Now, we realize there’s talent in the W that’s actually even greater than Caitlin Clark…
“Caitlin got the necessary eyes there, but now that the eyes are there, we don’t necessarily need her anymore.”
And then came perhaps the most astonishing part of the argument:
“Caitlin Clark has gotten the WNBA players past the proverbial Red Sea. Chartered planes, new CBA, new max contracts. With all due respect, if Caitlin disappeared from the W, she wouldn’t be missed.”
That’s certainly one way to thank the person largely responsible for increasing your visibility, television ratings and revenue.
His argument essentially boils down to this: Caitlin Clark served her purpose, helped the league and its players make a lot of money, and now she should kindly f— off.
That seems not only rude and ungrateful, but wildly disconnected from reality.
Clark’s arrival in 2024 transformed the WNBA. Attendance exploded. Television ratings shattered records. Merchandise sales surged. The league signed a media-rights agreement worth more than $3 billion. Revenue grew enough to trigger revenue sharing with players. Charter flights became permanent. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, average player salaries are up more than 450%, and the league’s top stars are making upwards of $1.5 million a year.
And none of that is happening without Caitlin Clark.
Does that mean other stars don’t matter? Of course not.
But pretending the league has somehow outgrown its biggest draw less than three years after she arrived is absurd.
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The conversation came in the wake of another controversy involving Clark. Last week, the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas was suspended one game and fined $1,000 following an incident in which Thomas essentially throat-punched Clark during a loose-ball scramble.
The play reignited a familiar debate: Is Clark being targeted?
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham certainly thinks so.
“You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheapshotting [Clark] in the throat… they’re definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her,” Cunningham said on her podcast.
Whether you agree with Cunningham or not, it’s indisputable that the WNBA’s current level of success is directly tied to Caitlin Clark’s arrival.
You can argue that she doesn’t deserve special treatment. You can argue that officials shouldn’t officiate games differently on her account.
What you cannot reasonably argue is that the WNBA would somehow be “better off” without the player who has generated more interest, more money and more attention than anyone in league history.
The WNBA may not want to admit how much it needs Caitlin Clark.
But the numbers certainly do.
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