The rise of Caitlin Clark in the WNBA has created a large divide among fans. Many believe that Clark deserves sole responsibility for the massive rise in ratings the league has seen, while others believe that the product has improved across the board through the efforts of its star players.
The league’s most skilled player, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, recently had some thoughts on the matter. In an interview with TIME upon being named TIME’s Athlete of the Year, Wilson admitted that she was bothered by the divisive narrative that came from the fans declaring Clark the savior of the league.
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Wilson lamented that it felt like the history was “erased” for a time during that initial surge in ratings. She believes that the women who brought the league as far as it has need to be respected.
“It wasn’t a hit at me, because I’m going to do me regardless,” Wilson said. “I’m going to win this MVP, I’ll win a gold medal, y’all can’t shake my resume. It was more so, let’s not lose the recipe. Let’s not lose the history. It was erased for a minute. And I don’t like that. Because we have tons of women that have been through the grimiest of grimy things to get the league where it is today.”
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The Caitlin Clark Effect
For the past couple of years there has been a simple formula: Where Caitlin Clark goes, the ratings follow.
It helped her Indiana Fever team sell out just about every game over the past two seasons and even pushed a number of Fever away games to larger venues to meet fan demand.
Clark’s extended absence due to injuries in 2025 obviously didn’t help things, but the expectation is that when she returns to the court in 2026, so will the viewers.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 20: Caitlin Clark #22 of Team WNBA hugs A’ja Wilson #9 of Team USA after the 2024 WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center on July 20, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Of course, the WNBA faces a somewhat uncertain short-term future over the unresolved collective bargaining agreement. The WNBA and the WNBPA are believed to be far apart on key issues right now, and there isn’t even a guarantee that anyone will be on the court in 2026, much less Caitlin Clark.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
