Caitlin Clark has brought unprecedented attention to women’s basketball, beginning with her historic college career at the Iowa Hawkeyes before carrying that momentum into the WNBA. Although the Indiana Fever guard is just two seasons into her professional career, her impact has already sparked debate on her impact in sports.
Some may argue it is too early to place that label on Clark, but according to a two-time Super Bowl champion, she may already be the most influential ever.
Is Caitlin Clark the Most Influential Female Athlete of All Time?
Clark arrived in the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, and her impact was immediate. The Indiana Fever guard went on to win Rookie of the Year honors while breaking several league records. But her true impact was perhaps even more evident in viewership and revenue.
Clark reportedly accounted for 26.5% of the WNBA’s total economic activity during her rookie season, with some estimates suggesting her presence generated more than $1 billion in value. An average of 17,035 fans attended the Fever’s 20 home games, more than the average attendance of the Indiana Pacers, while overall league attendance rose from 6,615 in 2023 to 9,807.
Those numbers are part of the reason former NFL running back LeSean McCoy believes Clark may already be the most influential women’s athlete in history, potentially even surpassing tennis legend Serena Williams.
“She’s like top three, might be two. No, she is one. She’s the most influential women’s athlete of all time,” McCoy declared on the “Speakeasy” show.
“I think Serena Williams was great. But who was watching women’s basketball? You weren’t. I wasn’t… Then we get this girl like Steph Curry and everybody watches it, to this day. Women’s basketball is looked at like the NBA, like the NFL. They’ve got their own channels now on ESPN. When was the last time you heard people talking about women’s basketball on TV? Now they’re going to talk about Luka, and they’re going to talk about Caitlin Clark.”
McCoy, who won two Super Bowls in his 12-year career, argued that women’s tennis was already well established when Williams entered the sport. It was Williams’ dominance, including 23 Grand Slam singles titles, that elevated her to icon status and inspired the next generations.
Clark’s impact, meanwhile, has been immediate in terms of ratings and revenue, dating back to her college days with the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team. McCoy also noted that she did not play for a traditional powerhouse program.
“Next point, she didn’t play at LSU or USC. She played at Iowa,” McCoy added.
While some may view McCoy’s take as extreme, if Clark sustains her current level of success, the 24-year-old will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest and most influential female athletes in history and perhaps the greatest in women’s basketball.
