The LPGA Masterclass in Respect: How Caitlin Clark’s Golf Outing Exposed the WNBA’s Deepest Insecurities and Its Star-Power Crisis
In a moment of profound and perhaps unintended clarity, the world of women’s professional sports was given a stunning visual comparison between two leagues and their approaches to a transcendent star. When Caitlin Clark stepped onto the course at the Annika ProAm for her second straight year, she didn’t just play golf; she delivered a painful, public lesson to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

The atmosphere surrounding Clark at the LPGA event—healthy, supportive, and genuinely uplifting—stood in stark contrast to the often-tense, sometimes overtly hostile environment she has encountered in certain corners of her own league. This isn’t about two sports; it’s about two philosophies. It’s the difference between a sport that sees a superstar as a rising tide that lifts all boats and a league that appears to view its biggest draw as a threat to the established order. The LPGA’s masterclass in embracing star power has, in turn, exposed a profound crisis of insecurity at the WNBA’s core.

The Unapologetic Embrace of Annika Sörenstam
The enthusiasm for Clark at the LPGA was palpable, starting from the top. Golf icon Annika Sörenstam was more than thrilled to welcome Clark back, a sentiment she expressed with genuine gratitude. Sörenstam, one of the most dominant forces in golf history, understood the fundamental, undeniable value of Clark’s presence. She wasn’t trying to steal the spotlight or minimize Clark’s contribution; she was celebrating it.

The data backs Sörenstam’s gratitude with staggering force. When Clark first showed up to the event, ticket sales didn’t merely increase—they shot up 13-fold, a full-blown seismic shift in audience engagement. This wasn’t just a slight boost; it was a crowd generated by someone who transcends the sport itself. The ripple effect was even more pronounced in the digital space. The event generated 395 TV mentions specifically linking Clark to the Annika event, a figure unheard of for an LPGA ProAm. On social media, X (formerly Twitter) exploded with close to 2,700 posts about Clark’s appearance on ProAm Day alone, pulling in over 18 million impressions in just 24 hours.

For the LPGA, Clark is a catalyst for engagement. The tournament’s Instagram view count soared by a massive 591%, and website traffic jumped by 121%. From tickets to screens to social buzz, every measurable metric blasted into another universe the moment Caitlin Clark stepped on that course. Sörenstam summarized the feeling perfectly, highlighting the new demographic Clark brought to the course—people who normally wouldn’t be anywhere near a women’s pro-am, suddenly caring simply because Clark was part of it. The LPGA, an organization that has seen its own cultural surges, recognized an opportunity and seized it with both hands.

Nelly Korda: A Model of Superstar Solidarity
The attitude of the players was perhaps the most telling aspect of the entire event. Nelly Korda, the 2024 LPGA Player of the Year, a dominant talent and certified superstar in her own right, was asked to describe the atmosphere. Her response was one of pure, unadulterated respect and gratitude.

“It’s crazy,” Korda admitted, describing the first tee box scene, but immediately pivoted to celebration: “It’s cool to see how many people she brings together to another sport.”

Korda, who easily could have felt overshadowed by the massive attention Clark commanded, instead responded with gratitude and excitement. She understood the simple, unifying concept: bigger crowds, more media attention, and a surge in enthusiasm benefits the entire LPGA ecosystem. It is an acknowledgment that growth helps everyone, and that celebrating a rising star doesn’t diminish your own light; it expands the entire stage. Korda’s reaction serves as the perfect, stark foil to some of the internal attitudes that have been circulating within the WNBA.

The Tiger Woods Comparison: A Cultural Shift
The cultural significance of Clark’s influence was not lost on the commentators during the golf broadcast. In a stunning, yet accurate, comparison, analysts equated the “Caitlin Clark phenomenon” to what Tiger Woods was for golf.

When Woods emerged, he didn’t just win tournaments; he fundamentally altered the demographics and scale of the sport’s viewership. People who never watched golf suddenly scheduled their weekends around catching him in action. Clark is doing the very same thing for women’s basketball. She is creating a generational cultural shift. As the data shows, when Clark is on the court, TV numbers soar to historic highs. When she is not, viewership sometimes drops off a cliff by more than 50% immediately.

This isn’t hyperbole; it is a demonstrable fact supported by every piece of viewership and engagement data released since her arrival. Clark is a cultural phenomenon, a superstar who transcends basketball, and any organization that harnesses that power is set to reap monumental rewards. Yet, while the LPGA openly discussed and celebrated this narrative, the tone immediately shifts when turning to certain WNBA coverage, where the narrative gets twisted.

The WNBA’s Crisis of Insecurity: Threat vs. Opportunity
The contrast between the LPGA’s “We appreciate you” mentality and the atmosphere emanating from some corners of the WNBA is painfully obvious. For all the excitement Clark brings, certain players appear to view her immense popularity as an inconvenient truth or even a direct threat, rather than the lifeboat that will secure their league’s future.

This sentiment was jarringly illustrated by the comments of Washington Mystics player Shakira Austin following a game moved to a larger arena—specifically because of the demand driven by Clark. After the game, Austin voiced her frustration, telling the press she was hoping for “real support from our own fans” and suggesting that if the fans weren’t going to cheer for the Mystics, then she didn’t want to play there.

The implication is clear: the fans were there for Clark, and that presence, while filling the seats and creating revenue, was not welcome if their loyalty wasn’t directed exclusively at the home team. This reaction highlights a staggering failure of leadership and vision within certain ranks of the WNBA. Instead of seeing a packed arena as a successful outcome and recognizing that the new audience provides an opportunity to win over new fans—like the successful strategy of Clark bringing Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham and Lexi Hull as caddies to the ProAm—the reaction became territorial and defensive.

The WNBA, as a whole, has a responsibility to foster a spirit of camaraderie and forward-looking growth. While no one suggests established stars should cede their hard-earned respect, openly bristling at the fan base that is single-handedly lifting the league’s entire financial tide is an act of self-sabotage.

The Intentional Narrative Spin

The frustration isn’t limited to player attitudes; it extends to how the league’s success is often discussed by broadcasters tied to the WNBA brand. Commentators are sometimes criticized for shifting the focus to proving the league’s success separate from Clark’s influence. This includes comparing 2025 numbers to 2023, while conveniently skipping over 2024—the very season where Clark shattered every record in sight and delivered the historic numbers being cited.

This type of framing feels intentional and ultimately insulting to the intelligence of the fans who can see the reality clearly. It attempts to divorce the league’s newfound momentum from its most powerful driver, creating a smoke screen that fails to acknowledge the core factor sustaining the current boom. The LPGA, conversely, made no such attempt at downplaying her impact; they leaned into it, acknowledged it publicly, and allowed it to become a defining part of the event’s story.

The WNBA’s survival and future prosperity hinge on its ability to transcend this internal bickering and embrace the reality that Clark represents a cultural phenomenon that cannot be contained or minimized. The LPGA provided the perfect roadmap: celebrate the star, welcome the new audience, and trust that a rising tide will ultimately benefit everyone. If the WNBA fails to adapt its mindset, it risks squandering this once-in-a-generation opportunity and watching its greatest asset not only receive but demand the respect and celebration she commands, whether that’s on a basketball court or a golf course.