People often run out of superlatives while describing Caitlin Clark’s talent. However, even the Indiana Fever star would have been taken aback by this bold claim by an NFL star about her, and this Chicago business owner has something to say about it.

Former Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy showered the ultimate praise on the 24-year-old, hailing her as the most influential female athlete of all time. McCoy credited Clark with the rise of women’s basketball, citing that the sport went from being sporadically watched to having its own channel on ESPN after her arrival.

Project H.O.O.P. CEO Pastor Corey Brooks joined Jason Whitlock to discuss the topic, highlighting other names who deserve to be in the conversation, while also giving his opinion on McCoy’s statement.

Brooks said, “I don’t know if Caitlin Clark is on the top three list of white women as far as influential athletes… There’s a list that she may not be in the top three females. So, she’s definitely not the most influential white athlete that ever lived.”

Caitlin Clark has been a prominent part of the women’s basketball revolution, a fact proven by the numbers before and after her arrival on the scene. The 24-year-old took the WNBA by storm in her rookie year in 2024 and has become a global phenomenon, raking in historic commercial deals for not just female basketball stars but also women athletes overall.

The current CBA conundrum is also a result of the WNBA’s increased popularity, which Caitlin has contributed massively to. Caitlin is now the face of the WNBA, and even rumors of her appearance in any basketball arena draw viewers and crowds easily.

However, calling her the most influential female athlete would be far-fetched. While she has had a big impact on the sport, McCoy used Serena Williams as an example.

We can take recent Winter Olympics heroes Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu as examples of influential athletes who have drawn attention to their sport, thanks to their talent and personality, much like Caitlin has done for women’s basketball.

While Caitlin Clark can ultimately reach those heights to be included in such conversations, it is far too early to announce the Indiana Fever guard as the most influential woman athlete ever.

Indiana Fever, WNBA highlight throwback historic moment for Caitlin Clark

Clark’s journey to the top has been defined by shattering long-standing records, none more impressive than when she eclipsed a 50-year-old scoring mark set by the legendary Pete Maravich.

Maravich was the leading scorer in Division 1 of college basketball, amassing 3,667 points over three seasons at LSU. Caitlin Clark broke the record in style on March 3, 2024, ultimately finishing her college basketball career with 3,951 points during her time at Iowa.

The Indiana Fever celebrated the throwback moment recently, as Caitlin Clark took another historic step by being one step closer to making her USWNT debut next week. The WNBA franchise celebrated with an Instagram post, and the WNBA and Big Ten accounts followed suit by commenting on it, highlighting a historic moment in college basketball.

Caitlin Clark will be without her Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston in Puerto Rico, despite featuring in the provisional USWNT squad. Boston suffered an injury at Unrivaled and will miss the Puerto Rico trip.

Clark’s debut with the national team is now one of the most anticipated events on the basketball calendar.