Getty Image
It’s no secret the WNBA is hoping Caitlin Clark will be able to generate the same amount of buzz as she did at Iowa once she enters the league, and it’s going to great lengths to give her the biggest platform possible based on the broadcast schedule it released ahead of her rookie season.
There are plenty of people who think Caitlin Clark should have taken advantage of her final year of eligibility at the University of Iowa, especially after she and the Hawkeyes came up short in the national championship for the second consecutive season.
However, the superstar who emerged as the biggest name in college basketball (men or women’s) over the past couple of years nonetheless decided to take her talents to the WNBA, where she’ll be able to make up for the supposed pay cut that comes with swapping NIL deals for a rookie contract with the many endorsements in her growing portfolio.
It’s a foregone conclusion the Indiana Fever will select Clark with the top overall pick in the WNBA Draft on April 15th, and as things currently stand, the biggest question surrounding her future is whether or not she’ll manage to attract as many fans and viewers as she did when she was in college.
The Las Vegas Aces are assuming that’s going to be the case when you consider the team has already announced it will be facing off against the Fever at T-Mobile Arena to take advantage of the 6,000 extra seats the venue boasts compared to its usual home court, and the Phoenix Mercury are using her supposed beef with Diani Tauarsi to promote their first showdown.
On Tuesday, the WNBA unveiled its national broadcast schedule for the upcoming season and it’s safe to say it’s going all-in on Clark and Co.
36 of the Fever’s 40 regular season games will be available to watch on the league’s “national broadcast and streaming partners. Half of those appearances will be split between ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, and ION, while the remaining 18 will be on either NBA TV, Amazon Prime, or CBS Sports.
As Ben Pickman of The Athletic notes, the Aces—who are heading into the season in search of a threepeat—will be featured on those national partners 35 times, meaning no other team will get more exposure than a squad that finished with the thrid-worst record in the WNBA last season.
The Caitlin Clark Effect strikes again.