Nalod wrote:Rookie wrote:It remains to be seen if Caitlin Clark's box-office was just a sugar rush. Let's see if those fans tune in next season. My gut tells me that viewership will start to trend down. I mean, nobody is even watching the playoffs and you actually have 4 good teams playing.
Well, then there is this.....
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/10...
Paige Buechers comes back and while she won't break any records, if UCONN reaches final four it might have some buzz.
Issue with some of these girls is they are blowing out ACL's. Cameron Brink did bring some attention to the game in College and was doing well with the LA Sparks before she got hurt. She has "the look" and is a very good player.
Soon the next "lebron or Jordan" will come thru college and if stays all 4 years breaks Clarks records or will be that much better she will star.
NIL's will also pay her. Clark made more money in college!!!
WNBA competes with Baseball playoffs and the NFL. I doubt it will ever be a major sport. But, WNBA can feed to NBA and visa versa. Basketball fans staying engaged at some level helps all of it.
Remember Annika Sorenstam? She had the same effect on the LPGA years ago. She was a must watch and even played in a PGA event. Anyone watch the LPGA lately? It was just a moment in time and then it passed. It would be lightning in a bottle if another player like Caitlin Clark comes along
Rookie wrote:Nalod wrote:Rookie wrote:It remains to be seen if Caitlin Clark's box-office was just a sugar rush. Let's see if those fans tune in next season. My gut tells me that viewership will start to trend down. I mean, nobody is even watching the playoffs and you actually have 4 good teams playing.
Well, then there is this.....
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/10...
Paige Buechers comes back and while she won't break any records, if UCONN reaches final four it might have some buzz.
Issue with some of these girls is they are blowing out ACL's. Cameron Brink did bring some attention to the game in College and was doing well with the LA Sparks before she got hurt. She has "the look" and is a very good player.
Soon the next "lebron or Jordan" will come thru college and if stays all 4 years breaks Clarks records or will be that much better she will star.
NIL's will also pay her. Clark made more money in college!!!
WNBA competes with Baseball playoffs and the NFL. I doubt it will ever be a major sport. But, WNBA can feed to NBA and visa versa. Basketball fans staying engaged at some level helps all of it.
Remember Annika Sorenstam? She had the same effect on the LPGA years ago. She was a must watch and even played in a PGA event. Anyone watch the LPGA lately? It was just a moment in time and then it passed. It would be lightning in a bottle if another player like Caitlin Clark comes along
True for any sport. NHL lacks superstars like Gretzky. Guys that break ceilings with play and stats. Clark did that out of college and into the WNBA.
Serena Williams in women's tennis. Now there are no "It" girls dominating. The William sisters were not just great players, they were stories as well.
To be fair they evoked racist emotions and were hated also.
Women's sports are often targets of Mysogyny and dismissed when compared to mens game.
Mens tennis had incredible run after Sampras with the trio of Rafa, Novak, and Rogers winning about everything for the last 20 years.
The game does well still with no apparent superstars currently. There will be others.
Magic and Bird "saved" the NBA and then Jordan became "must see TV" bringing in many fans to see the phenom!
Your not wrong, but nobody is saying Clark will be woven into the social fabric of society and define sports.
Paige "Buckets" if UCONN goes undefeated will be a story and will carry interest into the WNBA.
And some where a young women will start dunking and have the hopes to take the game to another level.
I like the women game. The fundamentals are more apparent and the passing is very good. its a different game. Its not the mens who are better athletes.
But, I think Clark will help have helped the women game attendance in college and the WNBA. To what degree? Who knows. Its not the NBA nor will it every be on par with them.
Women's golf? Not sure thats a good comp. For that matter Tiger Woods took the game to new heights also. Golf is not as popular now as it was then. Maybe there will be another golf superstar like him that be household names. Really its Jack Nicolaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods. Sure there are other great players over time but these guys are bonafide stars that went beyond the sport.
Clark might be a temporary phenom. But she delivered.
