It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Caitlin Clark being the face of the WNBA. She was literally nicknamed the “Goat Of TV ratings” while at Iowa by The Wall Street Journal. All 5 of the most watched regular season games in the last two years feature Clark. She signed the biggest shoe deal in the history of women’s sports, worth $28 million and was also named their signature athlete. Yet, Clark has been ranked third in the list of most marketable WNBA athletes. 

Caitlin Clark had a tough 2025 season. She played only 13 games and suffered through multiple soft tissue injuries and a bone bruise that ultimately wrapped up her season. And the WNBA missed Clark. The viewership went down. Clark’s absence meant the All-Star viewership dipped. The game drew 2.19 million viewers, down 36% from the 3.44 million in 2024 when she played. 

Despite the visible impact, Clark could only earn third place in Board Room’s latest rankings for the Most Marketable Players in the league. A’ja Wilson, as the reigning MVP and champion, gained first place, while Paige Bueckers was second. Angel Reese was fourth behind Clark, while Sabrina Ionescu came in fifth. 

That is completely against what the rest of the league is feeling. Covers released their own marketability index, ranking Caitlin Clark at No. 1. “Caitlin Clark ranks No. 1 overall (CMI 83), leading the league with perfect 100 scores in search, brand, and on-court visibility,” the report mentioned. In that ranking Paige Bueckers came in third. Angel Reese was ranked second with a “perfect 100” social score. Naturally, Boardroom ranking Clark at No. 3 drew criticism from the fans for their ‘subjective process.’

Boardroom Caitlin Clark Ranking Sparks Backlash Over “Subjective” Criteria

“It really feels like the league does not want Caitlin Clark,” wrote a fan. That’s currently a narrative floating in WNBA circles because of multiple media rankings putting Clark lower than expected. The GM Survey did not have Clark among the top MVP favorites and even put Bueckers as the player they would build a team around. ESPN ranked her the 10th best player in the league, while the Athletic left her out of their preseason All-WNBA first team. 

However, there are some valid concerns regarding her fitness and tactical changes under White as well.  So, it remains a fan-driven saga. But when it comes to marketability, even non-Clark fans are against such sentiments, admitting her impact

“Not the biggest Caitlin fan but it’s Caitlin Clark; clearly she literally changed the game, you can’t deny that,” commented a fan. “Not a huge CC fan but she has so much more motion than Aja and Paige. Do y’all not remember Aja’s shoe got escalated because of Caitlin?” wrote another. 

Many fans pushed back on Nike after they announced a signature shoe for Wilson before Caitlin Clark. According to some fans like these, the news received more attention than usual. However, Wilson has pushed back on this idea. 

“The conversation [on social media] was like, ‘Now you have a shoe because of Caitlin.’ No, it was never that,” Wilson said. “What is for me was always going to be for me, with or without this rookie class. I promise you that. Nike taught me a lot about being patient. My patience was definitely tested, but I’m grateful because trusting that process, I now have a shoe that I’m happy with.”

While that may or may not be true. Clark’s shoe is set to be immensely profitable for Nike, arguably even more than Wilson’s. According to Sneaker industry analyst Nick DePaula, Nike could receive a $150 million boost from the launch of a signature Caitlin Clark shoe in spring 2026. Which certainly brings more questions on Boardroom’s rankings. 

“What was Boardroom’s criteria? Subjective crap!” wrote one. “Me when I lie lmaooo ain’t no way this is based on actual facts and statistics,” pitched in another. 

That is an issue because Boardroom has not published any specifications or methodology for their rankings yet. As opposed to Covers. According to their report, Covers “built a Marketability Index that ranks the most influential players in the WNBA based on a blend of social reach, search demand, brand strength, and on-court visibility.” Without those, the Baordroom ranking seems like a completely opinionated list rather than a comprehensive report. 

Caitlin Clark is still only 24 and has already broken multiple on-court records. Off the court, she is representing multiple brands like State Farm, Gatorade, among others. She has appeared on NBA broadcasts as a guest analyst, furthering her impact across fanbases. Clark’s Nike ad was spotted across the world in the Philippines, and last week Indiana Fever photographer Bri Lewerke spotted Clark jerseys in Spain too.