Caitlin Clark dubbed as ‘hybrid hero’ with skills of 2 NBA greats by Kevin Durant’s brand (Getty)

As soon as she landed in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark drew a lot of attention to herself and the Indiana Fever. Two months into her professional career, she’s become one of the most famous faces of the competition, setting records with her performances on the court and the people who buy tickets to go watch her.

Ian Stonebrook of Boardroom (a media company co-founded by Kevin Durant) wrote some lines about the Caitlin Clark effect, first comparing her arrival to Pete Maravich and Michael Jordan and how their colleagues watched them.

“True to history, success comes with envy. Pete Maravich and Mike Jordan faced the same shade in their rookie arrivals due to their inordinate interest and disproportionate earnings. Just the same, they put brands, leagues, and entire markets on the map.”

Moreover, Stonebrook also noted that Clark possesses traits that Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant had and can make her take over an entire region with her game.

“In Indiana, the state where basketball blossomed, Clark has a chance to galvanize not just a downtown district but the entire Midwest. Boys and girls too young to see Steph’s ascent or Kobe’s competitiveness have a hybrid hero in Caitlin who feels entirely new and uniquely relatable,” he wrote.

Stonebrook notes that while Clark isn’t the only or first player to bring more exposure to the WNBA, she’s doing it uniquely, having a palpable impact on the league’s viewership and ticket sales.

Dawn Staley appears to regret one decision about Caitlin Clark

USA Basketball was criticized for snubbing Caitlin Clark from the 2024 Olympic team. Seeing how well Clark performed after the roster was leaked, Dawn Staley, a member of the committee, explained why Clark wasn’t originally called for the Olympics.

“As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent. Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing badly, but wasn’t playing like she’s 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, shooting the ball extremely well. I mean, she is an elite passer. She’s just got a great basketball IQ and she’s a little more seasoned in the pro game.”

In the end, Team USA took a robust team to Paris. They can absolutely bring the gold medal home, but having Caitlin on the roster would have given them a lot of extra publicity.

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Edited by Abigail Kevichusa