LeSean McCoy has never been one to shy away from a hot take, but his latest claim about Caitlin Clark might be his most audacious yet, placing her above every female athlete in history.

On Tuesday’s episode of Speakeasy, what began as a conversation about the “most influential white athlete” quickly shifted into something bigger. Whether you agree or not, McCoy declared the Indiana Fever star as the face of the WNBA.

“She top three, might be two. No, she is one. She’s the most influential women’s athlete of all time,” he said.

“I think Serena Williams was great. But who was watching women’s basketball? You wasn’t… I wasn’t… Then we get this girl like Steph Curry, and everybody watches it to this day. Women’s basketball is looked at like the NBA, like the NFL. They’ve got their own channels now on ESPN. When was the last time you heard people talking about women’s basketball on TV?… Now they’re going to talk about Luka, and they’re going to talk about Caitlin Clark.”

For McCoy, influence isn’t just about accolades; it’s about visibility. He argued that women’s basketball conversation now exists in mainstream sports media in a way it hadn’t before her arrival. But he didn’t just stop there.

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He also pointed out that Clark didn’t build her popularity through a traditional powerhouse program. Instead of choosing a blue-blood school, she stayed home with the Iowa Hawkeyes and transformed the program into a national attraction.

By the time she entered the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Clark had already rewritten record books and drawn unprecedented television ratings to the women’s college game.

Her impact then carried over immediately to the Indiana Fever and the WNBA.

Behind her, the league enjoyed a surge in its viewership and became one of the most talked-about associations. However, not everyone feels the same way.

Caitlin Clark May Be the Spark, But Is She the Engine?

Her impact on the sport has been one of the most talked-about topics between critics, analysts, athletes, and fans.

Just a few days before McCoy’s declaration, Susie Piotrkowski offered a layered perspective on her impact.

Speaking at a Front Office Sports event, the ESPN executive acknowledged that while Caitlin Clark may be the entry point for many fans, it is the league itself that is making them stay.

“I say this in quite literally the most positive way possible: Caitlin’s a gateway drug for some people to women’s sports,” Piotrkowski said. “If that brought you in, I’m going to keep you here.”

The long-term growth of women’s basketball, in her view, depends on infrastructure, not just individual star power.

“Well, she’s been out of college basketball for a long time,” she added. “I’m going to tell you why it is more than that. And that’s okay if you’ve come by way of her; now I’m going to tell you why it’s necessary for you to stay here.”

Clark’s games have dominated ratings charts, often outperforming other matchups by a wide margin. Yet during stretches of the 2025 season when she was sidelined with injury, the league still maintained stability.

Which is what makes McCoy’s proclamation so compelling.

Is Clark the single most influential force in women’s sports history? Or is she the spark that accelerated something already building? Tell us your thoughts!