CBS “60 Minutes” journalist Jon Wertheim said on Sunday night's episode that the WNBA as a whole, not Caitlin Clark, was this season's breakout star.
Wertheim broke down the WNBA's rise and spoke to Rookie of the Year Minnesota Lynx star Nafeesa Collier and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert about the article, calling Clark “without question the league's biggest draw, but the only one.” It's not attractive.''
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays against the Connecticut Sun during Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 25, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. React during the first half of the. (Paul Rutherford Images)
“The real breakthrough star of the WNBA this season is the W itself,” Wertheim said. “The women's championship game has surpassed the men's after a college season that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. The W game could garner more attention than the NBA game.”
“Across the league, attendance was up 48%.”
But it was Clark who set the standard this season and put together perhaps the best rookie season the WNBA has ever seen. Although Clark wasn't able to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season like Candice Parker did with the Los Angeles Sparks, she did rewrite the record books several times.
Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to have at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a playoff game in Game 2 of the playoffs against the Connecticut Sun. To be fair, Wertheim interviewed Clark before the playoffs started.
Either way, she became the first rookie to record a triple-double against the New York Liberty in July. She was also the first player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat against the No. 1 team in the standings.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark runs onto the court during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 15, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Grace Hollers/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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She set a single-game assist record with 19 assists against the Dallas Wings. At the end of the season, she had a total of 337 assists, setting a single-season record.
Clark set the rookie record for most 3-pointers in a season with 122, the second-most in a single season. She was also the first player in WNBA history to have 25 points, 10 assists and at least five 3-pointers in multiple career games.
These records are just the tip of the iceberg, and it goes without saying that she was unanimously named the AP WNBA Rookie of the Year.
In terms of ratings, Clark and the Fever was a must-see TV show.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts after making a 3-point shot during the first half of a game against the Minnesota Lynx on September 6, 2024 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
FOX Sports' Michael Mulvihill highlighted that point with this month's statistics. He wrote in X that Caitlin Clark's game drew 1.178 million people, while all other games drew 394,000 people, a 199% difference.
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The breakout star was clear, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, finishing fourth in MVP voting.
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