Caitlin Clark’s brother has entered the chat.
Within the wake of feedback made Friday by Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson — who known as out TIME journal over its resolution to not acknowledge the WNBA as a complete in naming the Fever rookie its Athlete of the 12 months — Colin Clark took to X to re-share a submit from Entrance Workplace Sports activities highlighting an attendance file when Indiana visited Washington throughout the season.
In a submit from September, Entrance Workplace Sports activities wrote: “A record 20,711 fans were in attendance for Fever-Mystics tonight—the largest crowd in WNBA history.”
A standout at Iowa, Clark’s recognition on the school stage carried over to the professionals, drawing new audiences to the game.
The WNBA had its most-watched common season in 24 years, coupled with its highest attendance in 22 years, as a star-studded rookie class — headlined by Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Clark and extra — helped smash information.
“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” Clark advised TIME as a part of her Athlete of the 12 months cowl story.
Within the days following the publication’s nod to Clark, Johnson spoke to CNN and contemplated why TIME “couldn’t have put the whole WNBA on that cover.”
“When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings,” the Mystics co-owner mentioned.
Johnson, who additionally co-owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals of the NHL, then expanded on different gifted stars within the league.
“It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the point where we are now and this year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft of players that came in. It’s just not Caitlin Clark, it’s [Angel] Reese. We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can just pin it on one player,” she mentioned.
Reese, whose on-court rivalry with Clark dates again to their school days at LSU and Iowa, respectively, was the seventh general choose by the Chicago Sky on this 12 months’s draft.
She and Clark have been each named WNBA All-Stars this previous season, in addition to to this 12 months’s All-Rookie Group.
Reese’s Sky teammate, Kamilla Cardoso, additionally made the 2024 All-Rookie Group, in addition to Rickea Jackson of the Sparks and Leonie Fiebich of the Liberty.
