Former ESPN star Jemele Hill doesn’t believe that Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA. The TV ratings would suggest otherwise, though.
Hill clapped back at Robert Griffin III and others who have touted Clark as the face of the WNBA in 2026.
“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,” she wrote.
But Hill is wrong.
Chris Jones-Imagn Images.
When sports fans think about the WNBA, one player comes to mind first: Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever guard is the player driving the most TV ratings, the highest attendances, the most merchandise sales and more.
And it’s not close.
TV ratings are proof of Clark’s popularity
The numbers don’t lie. Clark, by far, is the WNBA player driving the most TV ratings and talking points.
It’s Clark, not anyone else, who is the true face of the league right now.
That doesn’t mean Clark is the league’s best player. That is still A’ja Wilson, or maybe even Olivia Miles. But Clark is clearly the face of the league, as the sport’s most popular player – by far.
