WNBA legend Lisa Leslie went to bat for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark amid the discourse around the number of nationally televised games the team received this season.
The Fever will have 41 nationally televised games – a result tied to the emergence of Clark during her rookie 2024 season when some teams had to move to bigger arenas to address the demand to see the sharpshooter.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark against the Sun during the WNBA playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, Sept. 22, 2024. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier said earlier in the week it was “crazy” the Fever have more national TV time than the defending champion New York Liberty. Leslie said she didn’t seem to know what the big deal was.
“It’s all about money, marketing, and we cannot deny what Caitlin Clark has done for the women’s game,” Leslie told USA Today in a story published Thursday. “Why would we feel some type of way that she has more television games?… I don’t know what the big deal is of the fact that Caitlin is getting a lot of love. She deserves that and she’s helped change this game.”
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Lisa Leslie spoke about Caitlin Clark’s impact. (Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Sparks great said she was “grateful” for Clark and how she was impacting the game and implored the rest of the league to zoom out and see how the “big picture” will impact everyone.
“I think we have to understand that when one player eats, we’re all eating, and we all get more opportunities. It just opens it up for everyone else,” she added. “I love that she’s not the player that makes it all about her. She’s given love and homage to the players that have come before her. She shares the wealth with her teammates, and she doesn’t have to do that.”
Whether it’s positive or negative, Clark has been the focal point of the WNBA since she entered the league and that will continue as long as she’s on the court.
Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides chats with Caitlin Clark during the Sky game on June 23, 2024, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Clark made the Fever the most-watched team in the WNBA by a landslide in her rookie year, as the 14 most-watched WNBA games of the season all included the Fever.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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