When you put live crabs in a bucket, something really interesting happens. If one crab tries to climb out, others instinctively reach up and pull it back down. Instead of allowing one to escape and potentially help others, the group behavior ensures no crab gets out. In the WNBA, the crab that is trying to get out and help others is Caitlin Clark, and the ones trying to pull her down are other WNBA players. That’s the current scenario, according to one Los Angeles Lakers legend.
On Monday’s episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break, Scott and former LA Clippers player Olden Polynice broke down CC’s impact on the W. “Once, if she’s not on the floor, the product is not as good. There’s no doubt about that. You’re not going to have as many eyes on the product. You know, she is much, she is must-see TV when she plays, right? So if she’s not playing, there’s going to be a lot of Caitlin Clark fans that’s going to tune out,” Olden Polynice told Byron Scott.
This can also be backed up by the stats: according to a New York Post article in June, “The Fever’s nationally televised games are down 53 percent, averaging 1,810,000 viewers with Clark compared to 847,000 without her.” That’s a huge drop in numbers and a considerable loss of revenue for the league.
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That was also the case against the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the series, when cameras showed empty seats in certain parts of the stadium. For context, most of the stadiums the Fever travelled to last year when CC was playing used to be completely sold out.
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And hence protecting Clark is of the utmost importance to the league, as well as to other players, whether they like it or not. It’s Clark who has brought more eyes to the league; as a result, players are getting increased recognition and better sponsorship deals.
WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo added more value with her detailed post last year on September 1. “The below % is accurate, but the raw numbers are also important. This season, Clark has been flagrantly fouled 5 times (32 games). In 2023 Satou Sabally was flagrantly fouled 4 times (38 gms). In ‘22 Aerial Powers was flagrantly fouled 5 times (35 gms). (Research: @herhoopstats),” she wrote. This shows a trend that the best players in the league have not been receiving enough protection from the refs, and as a result, the league as a whole has to suffer.
One analyst directly compared how the WNBA treats its star players with how NBA stars are treated.
Is Caitlin Clark getting equal protection as LeBron James?
Fox Sports’ Brian Kilmeade spoke about how the WNBA has mishandled Caitlin Clark’s situation by not protecting her enough. “I don’t think the league has almost done zero. They’ve almost said nothing, you don’t even hear any outrage. If this was the guys and they were beating up LeBron, Adam Silver would have spoken out already. I don’t know what’s happening. But I’ve never seen such resentment.”
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Brian Kilmeade’s comments would ring true to any Indiana Fever and WNBA fan. For long, this has been a point of complaint, and Cathy Engelbert has faced the heat for not protecting Caitlin Clark. The commissioner has an image of keeping things balanced and not ruffling any feathers. “Here’s this woman, who comes into the league as a legitimate rookie. She has upped the viewership to the highest in 20 years. So the ratings are up to their highest (200%), and attendance is up 14% year to year,” Kilmeade added.
It’s high time that the league takes this issue seriously. Caitlin Clark has already missed a majority of this season, and the viewership has already gone down. If she sustains another long-term injury, it could spell deep trouble not just for the Indiana Fever but for the entire league.