NBA legend Isiah Thomas discusses Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA: 'I think it's great what she's done'
Clark is credited with the WNBA's sharp increase in viewership
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Basketball sensation Caitlin Clark has helped bring an unprecedented amount of attention to women's sports.
NBA legend Isiah Thomas recently joined Dan Dakich on OutKick's "Don't @ Me" to discuss the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft's impact on the game.
"I actually love the attention that Caitlin has brought to the WNBA, and I love the attention that women's basketball is getting," the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer told Dakich.
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Retired NBA player Isiah Thomas onstage during "From The Hardwood to the Board Room: A Conversation with Isiah Thomas" at the ForbesBLK Summit at Southern Exchange Ballrooms on Nov. 6, 2023, in Atlanta. (Paras Griffin/WireImage)
Thomas was pleased with the sharp rise and attention the WNBA has received this season.
"For too long… the media hasn't really shined a light on the WNBA athletically and competitively. They will give it a nod every now and then. But now, since Caitlin has arrived, and she had a great college career, and she was fantastic to watch… and you're curious… you want to see it go on. I think it's great what she's done, and I think it's great what the media and the WNBA and marketing and the players are doing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBA CHAMPION ISIAH THOMAS DEMANDS MICHAEL JORDAN ISSUE A PUBLIC APOLOGY
Thomas added that while he does not believe controversy is necessarily a positive, it helps sell the league.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, warms up before the game against the Mystics at Capital One Arena on June 7, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
"Controversy is not good, but controversy sells and whether the NBA wants to admit it or not, the NBA… the steps that it made to get to the place that it's at from a fan appeal standpoint… the NBA over the years had to go through some very controversial moments, and they stepped up and they met the challenge.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The WNBA is in its… I think is in its 26th or 27th year of existence, and it's going to go through those controversial moments and I have no doubt that they'll step up and meet the challenge."
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, handles the ball against the Mystics at Capital One Arena on June 7, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Clark recently scored a career-high 30 points in a win over the Washington Mystics. While Clark has shined in some games this season, the Indiana Fever have gotten off to a slow start. The Fever will enter their game against the Atlanta Dream on June 13 with a 3-10 record.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Clark is averaging 16.3 points and 6 assists over the first 13 games of her WNBA career.
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