On the heels of Caitlin Clark's historic 45-point, 10-assist performance for the Indiana Fever this week, former NFL QB Robert Griffin III is wondering if Clark has now cemented herself as the face of the WNBA.
In a lengthy post on X last night, Griffin mulled the true definition of "Face of the WNBA" and whether it applies to Clark. He suggested that it might be more deserving to current superstars like A'ja Wilson or former stars who dominated the league. But he also said that Clark's popularity and record-breaking performances make her hard to ignore.
"Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA before she has won a championship and it has come with extreme push back from the players in the way she is guarded and treated. Just like Michael Jordan and LeBron James were. Will Caitlin Clark ever become the best player in the WNBA? She can. She has the ability to. But right now, she is the WNBA’s most recognizable player," he wrote.
The Debate Begins
Sports fans and analysts alike saw RGIII's post and began to debate whether Clark really is the "face of the WNBA" in the way he suggested.
"I love CC as well..but she needs to be more consistent…You know and I know ..as true competitors, we do not pat ourselves on the back whenever you go out and do what we are supposed to do… Everybody is talking about CC and A’ja the Face…but Olivia Miles could mess around and become the face of the WNBA… I’m just saying..." former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant replied.
"I appreciate the nuance in your opinion, but there is a difference between popularity, appeal and being the face of the league. Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in the WNBA, and the biggest draw. She’s not the face because she’s not creating a new standard for winning (yet). She does not have accomplishments that people want to take (yet). What team is everyone trying to beat? The Aces. What player is everyone trying to match? A’ja Wilson. The standard for winning is A’ja. Michael Jordan became the face of the NBA because he became the standard by which every player is measured. Everyone wanted to stop him. Caitlin isn’t there," former ESPN host Jemele Hill wrote.
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There's clearly a ton of disagreement. Some feel that Clark is the face of the league simply by virtue of being the most popular player, others feel she can't be until she is consistently the best in key categories. Still others believe that she can't hold the spot until she starts winning championships.
Everyone has their own definition on what it means to be the "face of the league." And since there will never be a consensus, there will never be a proper answer.
