It’s common knowledge that Caitlin Clark is the heart of the WNBA right now—she’s captured headlines, sold out arenas, and pulled millions to a league that once barely averaged 171,000 viewers back in 2017. And no one knows this better than Dawn Staley, who once stood tall and personally thanked the Des Moines native, saying, “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport.” Yet now, that same coach is making one thing crystal clear: this isn’t the kind of attention she had in mind.

In her recent appearance on The Breakfast Club podcast, Staley laid it out plainly before host Charlamagne: “I think it pulls people in. I think there are new fans that haven’t watched our game, and they really don’t know, so they’re only singularly focused on Caitlin. That’s their idol, that’s who attracts them.”

And Caitlin has outdone almost everyone. Her Indiana Fever recently became the first WNBA team to cross 1 million followers on Facebook — a social media milestone no other team has achieved in the WNBA. On Instagram, the Fever leads with 707k followers, well ahead of Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky (584k), and dwarfing perennial play-off contenders Connecticut Sun’s 114k.

That’s why Staley’s next words hit harder: “But I just hope that they’ll open their eyes to the rest of the talent that is there. The product is incredible, and it’s in high demand… I’m looking forward to the next time they play, too. I’m gonna be glued in just like everybody else. I’m a fan.” She’s not critiquing the spotlight on Iowa’s breakout Star, but just calling for more light on the rest of the league.

Staley remembers how her South Carolina team faced CC in the 2023-2024 NCAA championship game. That game pulled in nearly 19 million viewers, according to CBS. But she says people weren’t really ‘watching’. “We played Caitlin in the national championship last year, right?… I know they saw us. I know they saw Kamilla Cardoso… Ashley Watts… Tessa Johnson… Malaysia do some incredible things. So, so open your eyes up to seeing, you know, outside of Caitlin.”

But here’s the counterpoint — Coach Staley’s Gamecocks have been a dynasty. NCAA champions in 2022 and 2024, Final Four regulars almost every year. They’ve always been elite (since 2015). Clark, meanwhile, was a long shot. Iowa had made only one Final Four in school history — way back in 1993. Then Caitlin showed up. And suddenly, Iowa was in back-to-back national championships. She was dropping logo threes against blue bloods, torching defenses built by Hall of Fame coaches like Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley herself. Her matchups with Reese, Bueckers, and Brink felt like prime-time NBA rivalries.

The buzz was not just about buckets. It was about believing in the underdog. Caitlin wasn’t just great. She was unexpected. And in sport, that’s gold. That’s why, even though Paige Bueckers was ranked No. 1 in the 2020 best high school recruits ranking, she never sparked this kind of frenzy. Neither Angel Reese nor Cameron Brink, both elite recruits who chose dominant programs. Reese transferred to LSU and won a title under Kim Mulkey, another successful coach who had 3 NCAA championships at Baylor before arriving at LSU.

But Staley is right, too. There’s a whole ocean behind that wave. Still, when Clark steps in, she is like a tsunami next to a ripple. In fact, if anyone can recreate Clark’s magic, it’s USC’s JuJu Watkins. 

Caitlin Clark celebrates Bonner’s milestone and embraces LSU rival’s shoutout.

However, to Clark’s credit, she doesn’t just command the spotlight—she shares it. Especially with those who came before her and those rising alongside her.

In a recent Fever press conference, as reported by Chloe Peterson, the Des Moines native made it a point to recognize a moment few were talking about. “Honestly, (DeWanna Bonner) moving into third all-time, I don’t see people talking about that enough,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how big of a deal that is. It’s hard to believe that Tina Charles and (Diana Taurasi) are the only two people in front of her. Two people who have also given a lot to the game.”

Bonner’s seventh point against the Chicago Sky (on Saturday) pushed her past Tina Thompson on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. Now with 7,489 career points, Bonner sits behind only Charles and Taurasi—and with just 249 points between her and second place, she’s not done. Caitlin made sure we didn’t overlook it.

She extends that same grace to rivals, too. When Flau’jae Johnson name-dropped her in a song—“Double C on my jacket, like I’m Caitlin Clark”—Clark didn’t scoff. She smiled. “She’s incredible,” she told USA Today’s Meghan Hall. “Her music is really great… I’ve honestly been a big fan since we played them at LSU.” She even knew the lyric was coming. 

Clark could soak in the spotlight alone. But she doesn’t. That’s part of her magic. So, what do you think—does the spotlight on Caitlin Clark shine justly?