From record-breaking viewership to growing brand investment, the WNBA has witnessed a remarkable rise in popularity over the last few years, which in turn has also allowed several players to create their own brand and identity outside the court. However, that growing attention hasn’t necessarily been distributed equally, despite how consistently a player is delivering on the hardwood. Recently, former WNBA star Angel McCoughtry shared an interesting perspective on this topic, with the help of Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

“In NFL, NBA, if you good, you good, right? On the WNBA, if you look pretty, you might not be the best player. Because I went to a conference and I said, everybody loved Indiana, they loved Caitlin Clark. I said, how many of you know Kelsey Mitchell? None of them raised their hand. She’s the best player on that team,” McCoughtry said on the Get To The Point Podcast alongside Terell Owens and Chris Spencer, via YouTube.

McCoughtry’s point in addressing Mitchell’s popularity compared to Clark comes after the 30-year-old had her best season in the league. Mitchell averaged 24.7 points on 50.9% shooting and 45.0% from outside the arc. She set the all-time WNBA single-season scoring record, finishing with 1,086 total points, surpassing five-time MVP A’ja Wilson’s previous record of 1,021. Moreover, Mitchell grabbed consecutive Player of the Month honors, was in her fourth consecutive All-Star Game, and was named to her second consecutive All-WNBA First Team.

But even after all these accolades, McCoughtry’s anecdote suggested that Mitchell is not as well known as Clark. And she is right. On Instagram, Clark has over 4 million followers, while Mitchell has only 157,000. For McCoughtry, there could be another factor behind the difference, as she questioned whether a player’s appearance could influence how much attention they receive.

But that’s not to say Clark didn’t have a great third year as a professional. Following multiple lower-body injuries that limited her to just 13 games, the 24-year-old returned with something to prove. She averaged 22.3 points and 8.3 assists and was also named to both the All-WNBA First Team and All-Star Game for the third consecutive year.

But stats only tell part of the story. The term “Caitlin Clark Effect” isn’t some gimmick. Entering the WNBA in 2024, Clark didn’t just become one of the league’s biggest stars; she brought an entirely new audience to women’s basketball. The WNBA’s 2024 regular season averaged 1.19 million viewers on ESPN platforms, a 170% increase from 2023. According to Ryan Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus, Clark drove 26.5% of WNBA economic activity in 2024, including attendance and merchandise sales.

But when Chris Spencer asked McCoughtry, “Are you saying Caitlin is pretty?” She declined to reply and answered with a laugh. McCoughtry then shifted her focus to another Fever star, Sophie Cunningham.

“Let’s use Sophie Cunningham, for example… She’s pretty. Now, she averages nine points per game, right? She has an Adidas shoe deal, right? There are other girls who could probably have all out that’s balling. It’s the visibility, right? She did some drama on the court and got the visibility, but not the best player you ever seen. But she’s getting a brand endorsement,” the former Atlanta Dream player said.

In July, Sophie Cunningham sparked national controversy following her comments in an ESPN profile on transgender athletes and their place in women’s sports. Since then, Cunningham went viral, and her Instagram follower count increased more than any of the other 49 most-followed WNBA players combined, and more than any NBA player, according to branding and social media agency bknown. In fact, from May 8 to November 2, Cunningham reportedly gained over 2,952,195 followers. The guard’s following more than tripled from last season, going from 1,403,868 to 4,356,063.

And as McCoughtry mentioned brand endorsements, those arrived soon enough. On July 24, Cunningham launched her first-ever player-exclusive sneaker, the Adidas Crazy Energy PE, which sold out within hours.

“So, in a women’s game, is it really about how good you are or the visibility, how pretty you are?” McCoughtry asked. For her, the answer was yes. Spencer further broadened the discussion by pointing to athletes from other sports, including Anna Kournikova and Michelle Wie. While neither was necessarily the most accomplished player in their respective sport, both attracted significant brand sponsorships, with Spencer suggesting that their physical appeal may have played a role in their commercial popularity.