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Caitlin Clark — not Simone Biles nor Naomi Osaka or Katie Ledecky — is currently the world’s most-popular female athlete according to data from ESPN.
ESPN Vice President of research Flora Kelly revealed Friday that Clark is the fourth-most favorited athlete, regardless of gender, on ESPN platforms behind only LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Steph Curry.
Based on ESPN personalization data, the WNBA has seen the largest YoY growth (+47%) among sports with 1M+ favorites
Caitlin Clark led all players with +373% MoM growth to become the 4th most-favorited active athlete, only behind LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Steph Curry
— Flora Kelly (@ESPNFlora) June 21, 2024
Immense Numbers Show Just How Popular Caitlin Clark Has Become
Clark had an astonishing 373 percent month-over-month gain in favorites and helped the WNBA grow 47 percent year over year, making it the fastest-growing league on ESPN platforms.
Those numbers are backed up by both external and internal WNBA metrics.
Ticket prices for the hotly anticipated contest between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky are trending to be the most expensive in league history by large margin.
Clark and Reese, who were also college rivals, have already squared off twice this season with Indiana winning both matchups.
Fellow rookies Reese and Cameron Brink have undoubtedly helped Clark grow the women’s game.
“I think what she’s [Reese] has done with her platform has been absolutely incredible,” Clark said of Reese after their last matchup. “She has an entire fanbase that has supported her and what she did at Maryland and then LSU. Obviously, l’ve played her for a very long time, and she’s been a tremendous player. It’s been fun getting to compete against (Angel). I think it’s been really good for the game. People just love seeing great matchups, but also…. they get to see how amazing these teams are. And then they find new players to support and continue to come back from them.”
But the reality is, it’s the Caitlin Clark show.
More fans attend Clark’s games than anybody else’s. More viewers watch her on television, and she’s by far the most talked about player in the league.
You don’t have to like it. But Caitlin Clark is a force to be reckoned with, and she’s not going away anytime soon.