The WNBA All-Star game made a huge impression among basketball lovers. Some fans called it a much better experience than witnessing the NBA All-Star game, probably because of the level of defense played in the game. But more than anything, Caitlin Clark’s presence played a huge part in bringing an unprecedented number of eyeballs to the game. FS1 contributor Rachel Nichols believes so.
Nichols also credited Clark for the soaring interest in the WNBA in general. On UNDISPUTED, she assessed Clark’s performance in the All-Star Game and discussed the spike in viewership from last year.
CC had an off-shooting night on Saturday, unable to convert any of her seven attempts from the three-point range. She negated it by dishing out 10 assists, a record for most assists in a WNBA All-Star game by a rookie. Overall, Rachel Nichol awarded her a B+.
But for the former ESPN reporter, Clark’s ability to attract attention also needs acknowledgement alongside her on-court heroics. She admitted that the Indiana Fever guard is not the only one who deserves recognition for the WNBA’s newfound popularity, but her contributions do appear to be more than anyone else.
Nichols said, “You have to look beyond what actually happened on the court. She is again responsible and not solely, other players are too, but Caitlin is the mover, she is the most responsible for the rise in interest in the WNBA and a rise of interest in this All-Star Game.”
Nichols pointed out that only 702k people voted for the top 11 players in last year’s All-Star game. On the other hand, 700k people voted for Clark alone in this year’s edition. The WNBA also nearly doubled the number of spectators in this year’s competition.
The 2024 All-Star Game would indeed be remembered fondly in the history of the league as the beginning of a new era. Clark did present some memorable moments, but her rival Angel Reese proved a point as well.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were both phenomenal
Clark had massive shooting struggles during the game, making just 2 out of her 9 attempts from the field. But she isn’t just a one-dimensional scoring guard. She brought an A-1 passing game, making a bunch of tough passes en route to 10 assists. Meanwhile, Angel Reese was on fire the moment she entered the game.
Fittingly, her first All-Star bucket also came as a result of an offensive rebound.
Reese made sure that the paint points kept flowing while her rebounding chops also were a huge help. She had 12 points and 11 rebounds(5 offensive boards), proving why she is one of the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year honors alongside CC. In one of the most iconic moments, Clark gave a scintillating no-look pass to Angel Reese, who finished with a terrific right-hand lay-up.
These two players helped clinch the 8-point win against the stacked Olympic roster. However, Arike Ogunbowale’s contributions were the biggest difference-maker. She was on a heater in the second half, paving way for a record-breaking 34-point second-half performance that put the veteran opponents to bed.
