The Clark effect has undoubtedly caught everyone’s attention. Whether through praise or criticism, the Fever star is undeniably the talk of the town. She is the face the league can leverage to achieve massive success. And it seems to be doing so already. Former NBA player Matt Barnes has always highlighted Clark’s potential. Following Sheila Johnson’s recent claims, he spoke about the backlash Caitlin has faced as he defends her.

During the latest segment of the All The Smoke podcast, Matt Barnes discussed Clark’s contribution to bringing attention not just to the WNBA but to women’s basketball as a whole. He said that she has brought more money and attention to the pro league while simultaneously helping shine the spotlight on other talents in the league. 

While the NBA grapples with a concerning 30% drop in TV viewership, Barnes noted, “Caitlin is someone who has if you look at it done everything you’re supposed to do and has been criticized along the every step of the way.” “Again she’s damned if she does and she’s damned if she doesn’t while the NBA ratings continue to drop over 30% as they try to figure out who is going to fill the shoes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry the WNBA has a golden goose sitting in their league,” Barnes explained.

As Barnes mentioned, Indiana Fever’s first trip with Clark to the State Farm Arena saw an attendance of nearly 17,500 seats. And Barnes isn’t alone. The Washington Mystics even had to move to larger NBA or NHL arenas when the Fever visited. The retired NBA player’s comments came just days after the Mystics’ owner Sheila Johnson’s remarks regarding Clark’s TIME magazine honor surfaced.

What did Sheila Johnson think about Time magazine honoring Caitlin Clark?

TIME paid tribute to Clark with Athlete of the Year. In an interview with CNN, Johnson claimed, “This year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft, the players that came in.” She further added, “It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s (Angel) Reese, there’s so much talent out that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can pin it on just one player.” What do you think about Johnson’s comment?

From playing college basketball to making herself comfortable battling against the pro stars, Clark showed an incredibly entertaining display in her rookie year, which also saw her claim the ROTY award. She is the first player to be named Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in the same month. She set the record of most points and most assists by a rookie. Clark is the first rookie to hit a triple double in WNBA history.

The WNBA No. 1 pick made history when she signed an 8-year endorsement deal with Nike worth nearly $28 million. She was praised for opening the door of opportunities for others. And she will likely get her signature shoe soon. However, she was also quickly criticized for the same, with many claiming that WNBA veterans such as Wilson should be the first to get a signature deal.

Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, who had once called Fever’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, recalled how entertaining it was to watch Clark bring a new change to women’s basketball. She further claimed that Clark will also bring attention to other stars, just as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods once did in the respective sports they played.  “You’re going to make all these women multimillionaires one day. Like Tiger did. Like Michael Jordan did. And we shouldn’t hate on her. We should celebrate her. Not tolerate her,” Lieberman said. The Clark effect seems real!