Dawn Staley (L), and Caitlin Clark (R). Credits: USA TODAY Sports

The rapid rise of the WNBA has become the center of attention among basketball fans. Dawn Staley added to this narrative recently by expressing confidence in the league becoming a billion-dollar industry. She credited Caitlin Clark as a contributor to this growth, adding a layer to the conversations.

During an interview with Forbes, the South Carolina Gamecocks head coach openly discussed her beliefs. She initially pointed to the league’s growth and its major potential. Soon, Clark’s influence on the WNBA became a key focus, with Staley stating,

“I don’t understand why people think we can’t be a billion-dollar industry. We can be… I think sometimes you need a unifier. I think Caitlin Clark has done a tremendous job of being that person that people wanna see… She has brought a different set of eyeballs into our game… Now it’s a popular thing to talk about women’s basketball”.

This revealed both sides of the league’s development. It first showed how women’s basketball had been growing for a while. And the major media outlets have finally recognized the potential market. As a result, there are discussions about the WNBA’s current media deal potentially quadrupling to over $200 million per year post-2025.

At the same time, generational talents like Clark, have been pivotal to this growth. For instance, her debut for the Indiana Fever in May became the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years, with an average viewership of 2.12 million. This momentum continued, as the franchise’s away game against the Las Vegas Aces in early July attracted the highest attendance since 2007, with 20,366 fans.

So, all the pieces are slowly falling into place to spark this rise. Undoubtedly, Clark has played a significant role in this. As a result, Staley’s admiration for her has only grown over time.

What else did Staley mention about Clark?

After joining the WNBA, the 22-year-old faced challenges adjusting to the league’s standards. However, she soon found her rhythm, gradually embracing a leadership role within the Fever roster. Now, she is a prime contender for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award, averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, while shooting 40.5% from the field.

When Clark was overlooked for the Team USA Women’s Olympic Basketball roster, many were frustrated with the decision. As a selection committee member, Staley recently clarified the reasoning behind this choice. Expressing her viewpoint, the 54-year-old mentioned,

“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA. Wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she is playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people”.

So, the timing was unfortunate for Clark on this occasion. Nevertheless, the youngster has since been open about her areas for improvement, taking the setback with a positive mindset. This has pointed to her commitment to growth while exciting the fans about the future.