In the world of sports, where stars are often celebrated and great achievements are celebrated, sometimes stories reach beyond the court, touching on deeper aspects of fame, envy, and social impact. Caitlin Clark, the WNBA women’s basketball phenom, is at the center of such a story. She’s not just a phenomenal athlete, but a “cash machine” who’s changing the face of the league. And now, the legend Lisa Leslie has spoken out, offering a refreshing perspective and exposing the harsh truths that many in the WNBA seem unwilling to face.

From the very first minute, Lisa Leslie’s speech was like a breath of fresh air, dispelling the tension that has enveloped the WNBA for the past year. While many current and former players, along with the media, have been constantly attacking “cash machine Caitlin Clark,” Leslie’s comments were a rare relief. As one of the most recognizable faces in women’s basketball, a true OG (Original Gangster) who has gone down in history with iconic dunks, Leslie perfectly rebutted all the criticism from the haters, making them look ridiculous.

“Thank you, Lisa Leslie,” a grateful voice in the video says, “Thank you, Lisa Leslie. I can’t stress this enough. Thank you.”  That’s the sentiment shared by many fans when they see a legend like Leslie, a member of the “Mount Rushmore” of women’s basketball, stand up for Clark. While the jealousy surrounding Caitlin Clark has persisted, Leslie’s well-reasoned statements have put things in perspective, forcing the haters to stop and think – or at least we hope so. Because, as we’ve seen, the more Clark contributes and achieves in the league, the more she whines.

Caitlin Clark has broken records without ever stepping foot on a professional court, leaving the haters acting as if she doesn’t deserve what she has. It’s no secret that the Indiana Fever are currently the most popular team in the WNBA. And even better, the league is finally recognizing and acting on this truth. This is not only good news for the Indiana Fever and their fans, but also good news for the entire WNBA.

Caitlin Clark is the worst kept secret in sports – the most famous player in WNBA history and perhaps the most talked about, most beloved female athlete in America right now Her appeal and economic impact are incredible. As evidenced by her rookie season, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever broke attendance records. The Fever drew over 300,000 fans to home games in 2024, setting a new record for attendance in a single WNBA season, up an absurd 39% from the previous season. TV viewership also skyrocketed, with the league recording 154 sellouts, more than double the 45 in 2023. The seven most-watched WNBA games in ESPN history all took place last year, and 2024 was the most-watched season ever, with over 54 million viewers tuning in to watch the WNBA, an all-time record, all thanks to “Caitlin Clark Fever”.

If that wasn’t enough, her star power continued into the offseason. When the team announced a preseason exhibition game in Iowa, it should have been a moment of celebration for all WNBA players for the increased exposure and opportunities they were receiving. At Caitlin Clark’s old college home, fans snapped up 15,000 tickets in less than an hour, selling out the exhibition game.

For a long time, the WNBA was considered a “charity” affair, a losing league supported by the NBA. But now, with Caitlin on board, they had a chance at a better future, one where players were paid more and the league thrived . But instead of jubilation, we saw jealousy. Many players tried to be tactful, but the jealousy was palpable, with some openly trying to downplay her influence and claiming they had contributed to the growth of the league. “The reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person, it’s because of me,” one player said, and others have even linked her fame to race, suggesting she’s only famous because she’s white.

This applies to the media and fans as well. If you’re a player, it can be frustrating when everyone, especially reporters, wants to talk about Caitlin. It must be frustrating to be asked about her in every interview. But guess what? The answer isn’t to trash talk Caitlin or be rude, it’s to capitalize on the attention she brings and give new fans a reason to remember your name. All of this is damaging to the league’s reputation, because the WNBA has long needed a star to bring in casual fans and eventually turn the sport into must-see television.

We’ve never seen a player enter the WNBA with a profile like this, not even legends like Candace Parker or Diana Taurasi. And guess what, that’s exactly what Caitlin did for the WNBA. Remember the nearly 19 million people who watched her in the NCAA Championship finals ? No female player has ever entered the WNBA with that kind of charisma. She was a one-woman show in Iowa, putting up 40-point performances in March Madness and leading her team to two consecutive national finals . Clark made the league her own by breaking attendance and merchandise sales records. You’d have to be living under a rock, surrounded by Mount Everest, and wearing noise-canceling headphones at a Metallica concert not to realize what’s really going on here. It’s clear as day, no question.

Caitlin Clark has not only lived up to expectations, but has also broken WNBA records for assists and points in a season by a guard, averaged nearly 20 points per game on the season, and led Indiana to its first playoff appearance since 2016. For those who question whether her style is suited to the professional level, the answer is yes, and she does it with an air of confidence that few can match. In addition to being extremely popular, Caitlin Clark is a true talent on the court.

However, it seems that some members of the WNBA community simply cannot accept that. Their egos are too big, and the fact that they have never achieved mainstream fame despite their outstanding talent is unfair to them. The WNBA has announced its national broadcast schedule for the upcoming season after six WNBA teams moved their Fever home games to NBA stadiums, with some teams hilariously refusing to admit that it was because of Caitlin Clark. The Atlanta Dream owner even blamed scheduling conflicts at their usual arena, which were miraculously resolved by moving to a 16,000-seat NBA venue. It’s the latest example of this jealousy.

The Indiana Fever lead the league with 41 nationally televised games, nine more than the defending champions Liberty and eight more than A’ja Wilson’s Aces. It’s no wonder no one watched Caitlin Clark’s games last season. Her playoff games drew 2.5 million viewers, more than the WNBA Finals in recent years. This isn’t confidential information. Everyone knows it, and teams and broadcasters have made it abundantly clear in their actions.

This is an incredible opportunity. The Fever have a formidable roster thanks to some blockbuster signings. They’ve added veteran stars like Natasha Howard, a three-time champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, and Brianna Turner, a defensive blocker, as well as Sydney Colson, a two-time champion who brings leadership, and Dana Bonner, a six-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion. This season, the spotlight will shine not just on Caitlin, but on the entire league. The Sharpshooter acquisition is perhaps the boldest move yet. Sophie Cunningham, known for her tenacity and confident demeanor, summed it up succinctly: Indiana doesn’t mess around. They’ve gone from rebuilding to being a contender on paper, and now have five All-Stars on the roster: Bonner, Clark, Howard, Aliyah (2023 Rookie of the Year), and Kelsey Mitchell. Fans will be excited about this team, and the quality of play will improve with Boston, plus multiple champions and a deep bench.

However, as soon as the news broke, players who benefited from this increased visibility, including one of the league’s top stars, began to express their displeasure. Nneka Ogwumike, who recently led her team to a WNBA championship and even won MVP of her own 3×3 Summer League, when asked about Caitlin Clark’s 41 televised games, ESPN’s initial reaction was: “I think there are two things. Obviously, people want to see Caitlin play, so you have to put people on TV that people want to see. But at the same time, there are stars all over the league, and you also want good basketball. Obviously, Indiana, especially with their free agents, would be a great team. But not having the defending champions on TV more, I think that’s a little crazy.”

Before I get back to Lisa Leslie, who tackles this in a much more light-hearted way, let me say a little bit. Ogwumike is actually a member of the WNBPA Player Executive Committee, and she’s been pushing for more pay. She should have realized that superstars are essential to the growth of a league. She tried to sign Caitlin for $1 million to compete in a non-contest league, but she understood that Caitlin was essential to its growth. So why make that offer? Caitlin turned it down, and Unrivaled only had average viewership. Sure, there was a bit of buzz at first, but it struggled to hit 100,000 viewers at times. It was fine, but nothing to brag about, certainly not close to “Caitlin fever.”

All the talent and star power that Ogwumike keeps talking about needs to be showcased. She does have the majority of the league’s best players playing in Unrivaled, but guess what? It still isn’t enough to make a difference without Caitlin. The WNBA itself has similar stars in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and the ranks keep climbing until Caitlin Clark shows up in 2024. That’s good for the WNBA as a whole.

Right now, many WNBA players make less than an assistant manager at your local Costco, which is ridiculous for a professional athlete. But so far, the revenue and profits simply haven’t been enough to pay more. This is a big thing the players have been asking for, what they call “pay equity.” The league has been losing money for years, but that’s about to change. The players will soon be negotiating a new CBA in hopes of getting more money, and they have indicated that if they don’t get what they want, they can strike. If nothing else, they should realize that with all the attention on them now, this is the time to step up, show what they can do, put on a great show, win new fans, keep them, and make them want to see more. That’s how you get bigger checks, not by complaining about fairness, but by increasing your slice of the pie. However, just as some people want higher salaries without generating revenue, they want more national TV games without being as popular as Caitlin.

Having made my point, let’s get back to Lisa Leslie before I lose my cool. When asked about Caitlin Clark’s improved TV schedule in a recent interview with USA Today, Lisa gave an A++ answer that you should pause, replay, memorize, and repeat to everyone who asks. “Really, Caitlin Clark… I think it’s all about money, marketing, and we can’t deny what Caitlin Clark has done for women’s basketball. I’m not going to pretend that’s something we don’t see. She’s had a huge impact, called the ‘Caitlin Clark effect.’ Have we ever had teams go into bigger stadiums to play another team? Never. So if more people are watching the game, and Caitlin Clark brings that, why should we feel bad because she has more TV games? Obviously, obviously, that’s true. Every word of that statement is true.”

This is a masterpiece worthy of hanging in the Louvre. Leslie doesn’t stop there. She goes on to discuss the effects of the “Caitlin Clark effect” on all players, something I think every player can see for themselves, but many won’t admit because they’d rather stamp their feet and hold their noses while Caitlin benefits everyone. She’s right. Why on earth would you be upset about more people watching your sport? That’s a question everyone in the WNBA community needs to answer for themselves if they truly want to see the league grow and the players benefit from the unprecedented exposure Caitlin Clark has brought.