Legendary NBA coach makes bold Caitlin Clark comparison over WNBA impact
Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark received due praise from legendary NBA coach George Karl, who likened her impact to one of the best basketball players of all time
Caitlin Clark received due praise from a legendary NBA coach (
Caitlin Clark’s noticeable impact on the WNBA has earned her the praise of a legendary NBA coach who likened her to an all-time great.
It hasn’t taken long for Clark to make her presence felt at the professional level. In her first season in the WNBA, the Indiana Fever rookie placed fourth in the league’s MVP rankings with 130 points, nabbing six third place votes, 26 fourth place votes and 22 fifth place votes. She additionally unanimously won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All-WNBA First Team and All-Rookie Team.
Clark’s positive influence extends past the court as well. Droves of fans have flocked to Fever games this season in order to catch a glimpse of the 22-year-old play.
According to the News & Observer, Clark and the Fever managed to shatter the single-season record for average attendance (17,036) and total attendance (340,715) while also breaking a multitude of records in regards to television ratings and merchandise sales.
Fever games aren’t the only contests that have seen a far greater increase in attendance thanks to Clark. The Atlanta Dream (431%), Washington Mystics (311%) and Minnesota Lynx (131%) each saw their fan presence jump by over 100% compared to the other games in their schedule when they weren’t facing Indiana.
The Los Angeles Sparks (80%), Seattle Storm (77%), Phoenix Mercury (64%), New York Liberty (44%) and Las Vegas Aces (42%), meanwhile, all witnessed an increase of at least 40%.
Former NBA coach of the year George Karl compared Caitlin Clark to Julius Erving
The sizable impact that Clark has had on the WNBA caught the attention of ex-NBA Coach of the Year and four-time All-Star Game head coach George Karl. Taking to social media, he wrote: “Caitlin Clark may be the Julius Erving of the WNBA. He had that impact on the ABA then NBA!
For Clark to be mentioned in the same sentence Erving, a 16-time All-Star and four-time MVP across the NBA and ABA, is quite an honor. And yet, Karl’s assertion may have some truth to it.
With an average attendance of 17,036, Clark and the Fever narrowly edged out three NBA teams – the Charlotte Hornets (16,448), Memphis Grizzlies (16,631) and Washington Wizards (16,896) – at home games.
Despite breaking a myriad of records – both on and off the court – in her rookie campaign, Clark conceded that she places little importance on the incredible feats. Instead, the Fever rookie asserted that her main focus was centered on helping her team make a deep run in the playoffs.
“I mean, it’s cool, but at the same time, I don’t really care,” she said of ranking fourth in MVP voting. “You know, my life is very unaffected by that. I’m just going to try to go out there and help my team.
“Obviously, our goal was to get to the playoffs, but I have a belief that we can come in here and we can win this series – but [still] approaching it one game at a time. So I think that’s where my focus is, but obviously it’s pretty night and day from where we first started so I feel like that’s something to be proud of and to find confidence in.”
