Megan Rapinoe with pink hair on field. Caitlin Clark smiling with reportersMegan Rapinoe and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Getty Images)


Megan Rapinoe, the retired USWNT star, said she’s a ‘big’ fan of Caitlin Clark and plans to see her and the Indiana Fever play multiple times, but that did not stop her from throwing a bit of shade at her.

Megan Rapinoe, a former top player for the United States women’s national team, acknowledged the groundwork set by the trailblazing women who came before her as she recently gave her opinions on the influence of rookie Caitlin Clark and the WNBA’s increasing visibility.

Speaking at the Business of Women’s Sports Summit in New York, Rapinoe shared her enthusiasm for the WNBA’s growing prominence, especially in light of Clark’s rise to prominence.

“Being at the Final Four was incredible. It felt like it was what the game deserved and what I think fans of women’s sports really deserved, and I think in a huge part, it’s because Caitlin is standing on the shoulders of [retired Seattle legend and Rapinoe’s fiancée] Sue Bird and [Phoenix Mercury guard] Diana Taurasi and [retired four-time champion] Maya Moore and the [reigning champion Gamecocks head coach] Dawn Staleys and [Basketball Hall of Famer] Lisa Leslies — everybody,” Rapinoe said at the Business of Women’s Sports Summit in New York on Tuesday, per the New York Post.

She added: “The WNBA’s been around for 28 years and really doesn’t get the credit [as] the legacy women’s sports league that all of us are really basing all the other leagues off of and base so much of our structure.”

Megan Rapinoe also made it clear that women’s basketball is much more than just Clark, who set several records during her college basketball career and generated insane television ratings throughout her run this past season.

 

“It’s so much more than Caitlin, though. [There’s] a huge storyline around Dawn Staley and her game,” Rapinoe said. “It doesn’t look like she’s slowing down. Incredible, undefeated [South Carolina] season, and the only reason it wasn’t the only thing talked about is because Caitlin was going absolutely bonkers.”

Rapinoe further made it clear that she is a fan of Caitlin Clark.

 

“You gotta capture the moment also, and my God, she has,” Rapinoe said. “I can’t wait. I’m going to the game when they play in Seattle and will be back here for the one in New York. I’m just as big a fan as anyone.”

Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever Jersey Becomes Top-Selling Jersey for a Draft Pick

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark broke yet another record as her Indiana Fever jersey is the top-selling jersey ever for a draft pick.

The 22-year-old phenom shattered many records on the court, so it was not a surprise that she was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by Indiana Fever.

According to the licensed sportswear retailer Fanatics, her Fever jersey with the number 22 is already the top-earning jersey ever for a draft pick.

The Fanatics website said that it was “sold out” of its initial batch of the jersey but that pre-orders were still available, and that restock is expected to ship in August.

Clark isn’t the only WNBA rookie whose jersey is selling off the rack as the Chicago Sky took former LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese with the No. 7 overall pick, and her jersey was also flying off the shelves.