Even with the Indiana Fever out of the 2026 WNBA playoffs and fans looking forward to Game 3 of the Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, sports journalists can’t seem to keep Caitlin Clark’s name out of their mouths. The most recent example of this came when USA Sports anchor Elle Duncan spoke up about the unfair position WNBA fans put Clark in when she entered the league, and WNBA YouTuber Ben Daniels wasted no time in calling Duncan out.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, The Ben Daniel Podcast, Daniel spoke up about how he felt that the conversation around Caitlin Clark needs to die down now that the league has moved on to bigger things – the 2026 Championship.
“We’re in the middle of the WNBA Finals. I’m sure this interview probably took place at the later end of the WNBA playoffs and you still can’t get Caitlin Clark off your mind,” said Daniel about Duncan’s comments. “And not only that, when you go and you do these talking events, the people that ask you the questions, they are only asking you about Caitlin Clark. Not only do you only talk about Caitlin Clark, but when people bring you onto their platform to speak about the WNBA, they only want to hear your thoughts on Caitlin Clark. That must drive you nuts.”
Daniel’s comments come after Duncan went on FOS Tonight earlier this week and was asked whether she thought Caitlin Clark was treated fairly by the fans and the league. Duncan responded with a bold take on the toxic environment of the WNBA, and the fans’ unfair treatment of the three-time WNBA All-Star.
“I think that Caitlin Clark has been put in a completely unfair situation,” Duncan said. “At the time when she came into the league, a 21, 22-year-old woman from Iowa to understand why this was happening to her and why this is happening to all the other women in the league — it is so complicated. It is so nuanced. It is long before Caitlin Clark ever stepped foot on a WNBA court that some of these ideas and narratives have been out there, but they used her as an avatar. And I think it’s not fair.”
Because of her historic collegiate stint with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark immediately became the face of the WNBA in her record-breaking rookie season. However, certain analysts and even some greats of the game refused to wholly acknowledge what she brought to the league. There seemed to be political agendas that arose, making Clark a divisive figure, and that is what Duncan seemed to refer to.
Clark, however, has carefully maneuvered the unfavorable situations she has faced and the social responsibility that came with becoming the WNBA’s most famous star from the get-go of her professional career.
Ben Daniel’s take, meanwhile, is centered on the fact that Duncan seems to be more outspoken when it comes to Clark, despite having moved on to cover other sports already.
“Elle Duncan, you leave ESPN. You no longer need to cover the WNBA. You’re now covering baseball. You’re doing baseball opening night. You’re doing the Home Run Derby. You’re doing football on Netflix. Like, you’re killing it. Yet, there’s something in you that’s just empty. You feel empty when you don’t talk Caitlin Clark. There’s an emptiness inside you when you go too long without speaking about Caitlin Clark. So you jump at every opportunity you can to talk about CC.”
To be fair to Duncan, Caitlin Clark has been the biggest name in the league since the day of her draft, when she was drafted No. 1 overall. Her presence alone has boosted ticket sales and raised viewership numbers to unprecedented heights. Clark’s influence has been so massive that analysts have even coined the phrase ‘The Caitlin Clark Effect’ to measure the league’s growth since the former Iowa star’s entry. That’s a lot to shoulder for the then-21-year-old, but Clark has done a fine job of it so far.
But unfortunately for Indiana Fans, the Fever are no longer in the running for the championship this season. They had a good run, entering the postseason seeded sixth with a 28-16 record. Clark averaged 22.3 PPG, second-best on the team behind only Kelsey Mitchell. Clark also led the team in assists, with 8.3 APG, becoming the first WNBA player in history to have 800+ points and 300+ assists in a single season.
After missing most of the 2024-25 season due to injury, her 2026 performance won her the AP Comeback Player of the Year award, while earning her third All-Star nomination.
Despite the Fever and Clark not being in the playoffs anymore, Clark’s rival Angel Reese just led the Dream to a win with a massive 30-point, 16-rebound night in Finals Game 2. With the Valkyries and the Dream each having won one game now, the action shifts to the State Farm Arena for the Dream’s first home game, where fans will have their eyes peeled for the Game 3 showdown.