“What does success look like?” one reporter asked Clark at a recent media scrum. “A championship,” she said confidently. No more unnecessary words, just the ultimate goal. Aiming for the top is the first step to get there, and Clark and Co. can back their confidence with the way they play. She has her eyes on the prize, with the Indiana Fever looking to build on their 2024 success. The Fever reached the playoffs for the first time in seven years with Clark providing the X-factor to the team in her rookie season.

Arguably the second-best rookie last year, Angel Reese was on the other side of the coin with the Chicago Sky, as they scratched and clawed their way through a treacherous season, culminating in being eliminated from playoff contention with a 13-27 record. Reese was, however, a bright spot for them, dominating on the court as well as off it. Her popularity grew off the charts as she quickly became the most followed WNBA athlete on Instagram with 4.5 million followers.

However, this national reporter has claimed she will move to the third spot in terms of the hype in the coming season, with Paige Buecker arriving in the league.

Seerat Sohi said on the Ringer WNBA Show, “If we are being honest, a lot of last year was about Caitlin Clark, and it started to trickle down to other things when you talk about mainstream popularity, right? And this year it feels like, obviously Caitlin is the biggest draw in the game but at the same time there are a lot more mainstreamish fandoms percolating in the W this season. ” 

Sohi’s point hits home because Clark’s cultural pull is unmatched—she drove a 170% spike in WNBA viewership in 2024, with her Nike deal and jersey topping sales charts. The Fever’s Instagram following surged to over 650,000, the highest in the league.

Numbers-wise, there is absolutely no argument that the 2024 WNBA season belonged to Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever recorded the highest average attendance to their home games by far with 17,036, which was the Caitlin Clark impact. Everyone wanted to catch some of the action to watch the ‘female Steph Curry.

‘ They had the most nationally televised games last year with 36, with that being increased to a record 41 this year.

The Fever’s playoff push in 2024, their first since 2016, sets them up for 2025. With new coach Stephanie White and veterans like DeWanna Bonner, analysts see potential for a deep run, with Clark as the engine.

According to Sports Media Watch, before the 2024 season, no WNBA game had averaged more than 1 million viewers since 2008. In 2024, the WNBA saw not one, not two, but 23 games hit seven figures in viewership. Clark was involved in all but three of those games. You talk jersey sales; she was the bestselling one.  You talk about social media; the Fever are the most followed team in the league. Only Reese is ahead of Clark in the individual metrics. The Chicago Sky superstar has built her personal brand as well but if we talk about impact, considering all the numbers, Clark wins by a mile.

Now, the WNBA is not only about her; it’s about Dominique Malonga, who is the youngest to be picked in a WNBA draft at 19. It’s about Hailey Van Lith of the Chicago Sky, who is reuniting with Angel Reese and their chemistry. A’ja Wilson has her own storyline after that record-breaking last season where she did literally everything except win the title. Many of these subplots are popping up in the league, which makes it more interesting.

Sohi further mentioned Bueckers as the upcoming superstar to match Clark, saying, “And I think Paige is a huge part of that. I think that her popularity has risen a lot over the course of last year and then peaking with the draft and winning the title. I don’t think that could have gone any better for her or for the WNBA.”

Paige has certainly gained popularity with her impressive college career, which involved winning the national title along with Player of the Year. Many people watched the 2025 draft because of her, which skyrocketed its ratings. Her effect on the WNBA is being felt already, with tickets to the Wings’ games in high demand. Their home matchup with the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever in June was moved to American Airlines Center to accommodate more fans. Her Wings jersey is the top seller in a popular sporting goods store. With these two right at the top, Reese was not even in the conversation with Sohi and Andrew Haubner.

That said, we have to consider how the team performed last season — the Sky didn’t measure up to the Fever, and while Reese had her moments, she still stood out on a struggling squad. An untimely mid-season injury didn’t help her stock either. As the team develops, so will she, and there’s plenty of time for her to build a bigger fan base. For now, Clark holds the top spot alongside Bueckers, riding the wave of rookie hype and momentum. It’s not like Reese hasn’t made a splash, but some of her off-court clashes with Clark may have cost her a few fans.

Angel Reese’s Teammate picks Caitlin Clark as her favourite player

The on-court rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark was very intense last year, with the competitive nature of the competition getting to both athletes. With the two of them being the standout rookies and having some history in college ball to go with it, it was clear from day 1 that there would be heat when these two were on the court. One would naturally assume that every teammate of Reese or Clark will side with their teammate, causing some tension with the other camp too.

However, that is for those two to deal with for second-year Sky Center Kamilla Cardoso, who was drafted two picks after Clark and four picks ahead of Reese last year. During a recent interview with the NBA Brasil Instagram, Cardoso was asked a series of rapid-fire questions, and Clark’s name was eventually brought up.

The interviewer asked Cardoso, “Who is the most promising player in the [WNBA] apart from you?,” to which she didn’t hesitate to respond with “Caitlin Clark.”

This has drawn some negative reactions from Sky fans, while the Fever fans have fallen in love with her. However, hate is never a good thing to propagate, as you can’t expect every teammate to make your rival their enemy too. Their personal rivalry has no relation to how Cardoso is with Clark. Obviously, if there is an on-court clash, every player is going to side with their teammate but it doesn’t equate to personal enmity. The rivalry will heat up the WNBA this year too, only adding more spice to a very anticipated season from the fans.