INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark’s name, in and of itself, has a lot of pull. Whether it be in the WNBA, in collective bargaining negotiations, in promotions for different brands, just her name can bring unprecedented engagement.
It reminds Fever coach Stephanie White of another megastar. One that, ironic or not, is one of Clark’s longtime idols.
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“It literally is like Taylor Swift 2.0, and because of that, her name gets thrown into a lot of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with her, or her interests, and or our team or sport, or whatever,” White told IndyStar on a Fever Insider Podcast episode launching Wednesday. “And she is a 23 year-old kid who loves to play this game, who loves her teammates, who loves to compete, you know, at a high level.”
On paper, it can make sense for people to use Clark’s name to make their points. She’s a global superstar, bringing sold-out crowds to WNBA games across the country and making every game, no matter the location, feel like a home game. An economist estimated that Clark accounted for 1 in 6 tickets sold in the league in her rookie season in 2024.
Clark brings engagement. Heads move when her name is mentioned. But what isn’t considered, White said, is how using her name affects Clark’s real life. White first mentioned that Clark was used as a “pawn in other people’s games” on the radio show Query and Company, then expounded on her comments.
It’s an unfortunate side effect to the amount of fame Clark has, White said.
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“Her name grabs attention,” White said. “Her name is clickbait. Her name is utilized in a way that very few people and athletes are. It’s in the same sphere as LeBron (James), as Serena Williams, as Tiger Woods, as Taylor Swift. I wish that Caitlin was able to just live her life however, but with the things that she’s accomplished, there’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of attention that comes, because she’s elite at what she does.”
Lynx forward and WNBA players’ union vice president Napheesa Collier took advantage of Clark’s stardom a few weeks ago when she read an explosive statement lambasting the league following Minnesota’s elimination from the playoffs.
She criticized commissioner Cathy Engelbert on officiating, negotiations, and the state of the league as the WNBA and players union are in the heat of new CBA negotiations. During that statement,.she mentioned Clark, along with fellow young players Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, by name, even mentioning the sponsorship money Clark receives.
“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that Caitlin, Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers), who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years,” Collier said. “Her response was ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t be making anything.’”
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Collier did not tell anyone, including Clark or the players’ union executive committee, that she was going to make that statement. IndyStar looked into that alleged claim, and found it untrue — Clark had multiple high-level sponsorships, including those with Hy-Vee and Nike, before she was part of the WNBA.
Engelbert denied she made those comments about Clark in a regularly scheduled news conference before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, three days after Collier’s statement.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game, proud of what she’s put on the court. Unfortunately, the injuries held her back from a full season this year … There’s a lot of inaccuracies reported out there, and I certainly did not say that.”
Even so, there were rumors swirling about Clark’s endorsement money, her role in CBA negotiations and how she’s viewed by league leadership, for multiple days following Collier’s comments. All to no fault of the Fever star — she wasn’t even aware that it was going to happen.
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But it’s something she always handles with grace.
“She handles it in a way that I’m not sure most 23 year olds would. I’m really proud of her,” White said. “Obviously her parents and her family have done such a great job in helping prepare her for this. Most would not be able to handle it in the way that she does.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube page for Fever Insiders Live.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark is ‘Taylor Swift 2.0’ Fever coach Stephanie White says
