Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA is real, and it recently received a nod from one of its biggest advocates. For a couple of years now, Clark has been the WNBA’s crown jewel, driving business and viewership, but it isn’t just about that. And a three-time NBA champion and a known supporter of the CC effect, Draymond Green shared his two cents in this regard while also making a bold claim.

Speaking with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston on the Post Moves podcast, Green clearly underscored the ways Clark draws attention to the league and eventually impacts its overall proceedings.

“There’s a lot of flack on how much attention and recognition Caitlin Clark deserves for the viewership of the WNBA. I’m not here to debate that. I don’t really care. What I’m going to say is her shooting threes across half court was one thing that they could see and be like, “oh my god, that’s like Steph,” he said.

“That had a big impact because it was something that they could see and like, “oh my god wow.” Once they said wow, you look like, “oh my god the skill level of this league is in some ways higher than the NBA.” But you get to see a highlight play in the NBA. So then it’s like, oh man, they attach themselves to the highlights,” Green added further.

From a broader perspective, there are multiple metrics to determine CC’s impact on the WNBA. Be it in terms of enhanced viewership in her rookie year, where the broadcasting numbers grew exponentially, or from a financial standpoint, where Clark was at the center of more than 26% of the total fiscal movement of the league in 2024.

But Green didn’t delve into it, instead breaking down a more nuanced element that drives these broadcasting and financial successes: the quality of the game on the court, claiming that it sometimes may reflect that it’s better than the NBA, courtesy of CC’s plays. Now, it’s quite well known, even to basketball newbies, that Clark is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the league. The record that she holds for making the most threes in a single edition (122) just adds weight to it.

Furthermore, it isn’t just the consistency with which she shoots from beyond the arc. But it’s the average distance she shoots from (28.09 feet from the basket in her rookie season), which is even farther than the average distance players like Stephen Curry (27.58 feet) shoot from. Because of these consistently terrific performances on the court, Clark’s name is often mentioned alongside Curry, who, in his own right, has earned the title of arguably being the greatest shooter of all time.

It’s quite certain that Clark still has a long way to go in reaching the level of Curry, and she’s on the right path as well. But more importantly, these plays that often stand out in highlights and even in the small clips on social media often catch the audience’s eyes, which ultimately benefits the overall league for its quality.

Now, of course, the WNBA is far from the NBA in terms of physicality and overall legacy, but the latter is quietly trending in a positive direction, especially in terms of skill set, and Clark is one of the players at the very helm of this stride. This is the sentiment that Green was trying to convey in the podcast.

And this wasn’t the first time that Draymond has rallied behind Caitlin Clark. Last year on social media, when the three-time NBA champion was asked about the player who drives the WNBA, he confidently said, “Caitlin Clark. No question.” Furthermore, when Clark’s name was snubbed from the US National team at the Paris Olympics, Green clearly highlighted that CC should have been in the squad as she’s the biggest star in women’s basketball.

“I think Caitlin Clark should have been on the USA Team. It’s great for the brand. We talk brand any other time, let’s not act like it doesn’t matter now,” Green had said. ” The W is there, so it must be about spreading this globally, and she’s the biggest global star in women’s basketball.”

While Draymond Green continues to be an avid advocate of Clark, WNBA legend Candace Parker notes that the latter’s teammate can learn a thing or two from the former.

Candace Parker Feels Aliyah Boston Can Be the Draymond Green to Caitlin Clark

The comparison that Draymond Green made between Caitlin Clark isn’t just limited to three-point shooting. As the main cogs of their team, both Clark and Curry face tough physical challenges and immense defensive pressure at times. This is where Green comes in for  Curry, and Parker feels Boston can do the same job for Clark.

The conversation initially came up during the podcast, where Green explained his role in assisting Curry with screening and tightrope defensive situations. “As a screener though you want to pressure the hell out of Steph,” Green said. “I need to use one of those illegal ones. So, I’m about to take one on this one, right? Like I got to, because this guy (Steph) got to start looking over his shoulder and when he start looking over his shoulder, you can’t stealth.”

Parker followed up, urging Boston to play this disruptor role for Clark at times to assist the latter on the court. “And I hate to say this applies for Caitlin because that’s what they’re going to try to pressure her,” she said. “They’re going to try to do all that stuff. And sometimes you got take that foul.”

The assessment makes sense. As the team’s primary ball handler most of the time, Clark faces intense physicality and foul trouble. So, Boston can come into this equation while screening and ease the pressure from Clark against tough physical defenses, never mind if the former even concedes a foul in doing so.

All in all, the CC  effect will be in full flow and will comtinue to impact the league. We got a glimpse of it recently when CC’s return to the WNBA after 9 months against the NY Liberty in the preseason got over 700k average viewership, making it the most-watched preseason game for the league. And with a season ahead of us, it’s quite certain that we’ll get to see it many more times. But for that, Clark will at least have to stay fit, and that’s, to some extent, a bit of a responsibility for her teammates, like Boston.