No one can refute the effect that Caitlin Clark had on the sport. Her selection by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft sure did bring a lot of viewers into the game of women’s basketball. Her advent resulted in a whopping 93% surge in ticket sales, with Indiana’s second home game against the Sun raking in close to 17,413 fans. The athlete, however, didn’t receive treatment that fit such a development from the opposing team. This did not sit well with Paige Spiranac, an influencer who has brought in her fair share of viewers into the sport of golf.

The 31-year-old shared a tweet on her X handle (formerly Twitter) pointing out the unfair treatment received by the 22-year-old Caitlin Clark in her team’s recent game against Chicago Sky. She went ahead to share a video of Chennedy Carter pushing Stark to the ground in an aggressive form of gameplay with the caption, “Imagine bringing millions of new fans to the game which in turn will make every player more money and yet they treat you like this. A rising tide lifts all boats.”

The athlete from Chicago Sky and Caitlin Clark had exchanged words following an Indiana Fever possession when the latter got a rebound over Carter. Soon after, the Sky Guard made a midrange shot, following which she went to guard the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer on the inbound and shoulder-checked the Fever athlete to the ground. This resulted in an away-from-the-ball common foul, subsequently leading to one free throw for the Iowa native’s team. The result? A successful free throw helped her squad end up winning by one point, 71-70.

For Spiranac, such a ‘treatment’ by fellow athletes was outrageous, to say the least. She expressed the same by highlighting the number of viewers that the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, along with her team, brought to women’s basketball. Even the attendance at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the place where the recent game took place, showed an immense number of fans attending the match.

That’s not all. As per reports by ESPN that were made public during Saturday’s broadcast, the total home attendance for the Fevers from 20 games last season amounted to 81.336. Meanwhile, the team this season saw a whopping 65,583 from just the first four games. If one were to include the figures from the recent match (17,274), then the total from 5 games would amount to 82,857. Nothing short of iconic for Caitlin Clark and her team. This is what ‘Women’s Sporting Advocate’ Spiranac hinted at while sharing her tweet. The diva, however, has her own share of troubles, especially when striving to spread awareness for women’s golf.

Paige Spiranac faces nasty online hatred amid Caitlin Clark’s episode

The ravishing American had shared a story on her Instagram handle just hours ago while calling out a follower who sent a hateful message to her. The enthusiast dubbed her a “disgrace”, “disgusting,” and “an absolute piece of t***h.” She even added, “You are really f**king it up for the rest of us who don’t feel good about showing our t*ts and a*es to men in a place where it’s not even necessary to dress up to get their attention,”  while alluding to Spiranac’s content, which shows her in bold clothes on golf courses.

The athlete-cum-influencer shared the same while expressing her love for golf. “I advocate for the women to get into the game.” the model added, “I also advocate for people to live their truth. I like who I am and how I dress. I know my content isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but there is a way to express that opinion without being so hateful. It’s time we lift others up.” The blonde beauty, thus, took up the opportunity to turn into an advocate for women while being faced with such hateful comments. Truly a respectable attitude.