Caitlin Clark’s notoriety has led to a lot of negative reactions, with Dave Portnoy sharing his take on why she gets the treatment she does.
The WNBA left Caitlin Clark off their 30th anniversary poster, leading to strong fan reactions which considered it a disrespectful gesture to the athlete who’s popularized the WNBA to new heights.
Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy shares his theory on why the WNBA would do something like this to Clark.
Portnoy thinks Caitlin Clark-related jealousy led to this outcome
On the Wake Up Barstool show, Portnoy made it clear that WNBA’s treatment of Clark reeks of ‘jealousy and hypocrisy,’ implying the league resents its biggest star because her popularity preceded the WNBA.
“No one has ever come into the league like she has, it’s jealousy, it’s hypocrisy, and just not knowing where your bread is buttered… They don’t like that she has been crowned this queen of the league before she even showed up, and they want to make a point about it, and they continue to make a point about it.”
Clark’s arrival into the WNBA in 2023 is directly linked to the massive boom the league has enjoyed over the last few seasons.
This has led to tough conversations around the league, as established stars seem to be hostile towards Clark who was more popular than most of them combined as a rookie.
She doesn’t have many on-court achievements yet outside a WNBA Finals appearance, but she is inarguably one of the most iconic WNBA players ever already.
Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA is second-to-none
Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey is among the best-selling sports jersey across the USA, outselling all NBA stars outside of Stephen Curry.
Non-Fever games over the 2025 season averaged 549,000 viewers, but Fever games averaged about 1.26 million viewers. A Fever game that Clark missed registered less than 320,000 viewers, compared to big games such as her debut bringing in over 2.5 million,
It has been estimated that Clark was responsible for roughly 25–26.5% of the WNBA’s total economic activity in 2024 across attendance, TV rights value, and merchandise. Franchise valuations have jumped into the billion-dollar range since her entry into the league as well.
Whether one hates it or loves it, Clark is the engine the modern WNBA is being built on. The league needs to recognize and promote their golden goose by ignoring the fact that her popularity alone threatens the control the league has over its players.
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