Caitlin Clark Had a Big Impact ‘Across the League,’ According to WNBA Coach

The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year really was a difference-maker on and off the court.

Caitlin Clark / Ron Hoskins/Getty Images

The 2024 WNBA season was a momentous one. With the addition of rookies like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink among others, fans gathered around the TV and flocked to the arenas in greater numbers to witness the new and veteran talent battle it out on the court.

Both TV viewership and attendance numbers rose significantly. And players—rookie and veteran alike—finally seem to be getting the sort of media attention that they deserve. Soon, with a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon, players will start to see the real benefits of this shift (monetarily and otherwise).

At the forefront of the WNBA buzz is Clark. As the almost unanimous pick for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award, the Indiana Fever point guard has already built herself somewhat of a legacy in the League. In her first year of professional basketball, she set a single-season assists record, recorded the first triple-double among any current or former rookies and took the award for most points scored by a rookie in a debut season, too. In other words, there’s no wonder why she earned the coveted award. There’s no wonder why her on-court presence has attracted new fans of the League.

And there’s really no wonder why she’s garnering praise from all corners of the WNBA. Most recently, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spoke to Clark’s rookie season legacy during her end-of-season interview following the WNBA Finals.

“When Caitlin Clark announced she was going to enter the draft, I remember... the wave of enthusiasm that came from a player that wasn’t even going to play for the Lynx,” she said, according to a video captured by Vanshay Murdock.

Reporter: breaking attendance records, having the whole city rally behind the Lynx. You’ve been here for a long time, what was it like to experience that this season?

Reeve: when Caitlin Clark announced she was going to enter the draft… The wave of enthusiasm that came from a… pic.twitter.com/LvClF9tTUi

— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) October 22, 2024

“There was a lot of excitement and momentum for the WNBA,” Reeve remarked. But it wasn’t just buzz, either. The increased chatter actually “translat[ed] business-wise across the League,” according to Reeve—a meaningful outcome for coaches and players alike.

“The movement that we’re in now, I think it’s exciting,” she admitted. Reeve was especially thrilled to learn how much easier it became this season to find sports bars willing to air women’s sports games—something that has historically been difficult to come by, she said. The “support ... from the community” in Minnesota changed the “identity” of the entire season.

And that was true elsewhere, too—like in Indiana, where Clark was putting on a show. The off-season may be in full swing, but we’re still thinking about her historic rookie performance and looking forward to watching her grow in the years to come.