Caitlin Clark is on fire, and it’s safe to say that she’s got the basketball world watching in awe. Leading her team in just about every stat category possible, clocking in huge Rookie of the Year buzz, and setting new records for viewership, she’s defying norms and a few legends’ opinions left and right. One of those veterans is none other than Diana Taurasi, who famously said that an athlete’s limelight would diminish eventually as they transition to the pros.

Candace Parker spilled, recalling Taurasi’s take: “I think it was Diana Taurasi who said to me…your heyday is when you’re playing in college. And then people slowly but surely forget about you as you progress in the WNBA.” But looks like CC didn’t get the memo. Clark was already big news in college and she wasn’t expected to carry on that momentum to the WNBA.

Transitioning to the Indiana Fever, Clark didn’t leave that Iowa fan base behind. Instead, she brought them right along with her, plus a few million extra. Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun pulled in an insane 2.5 million viewers.

This was the most-watched WNBA game ever to air exclusively on cable. Even Game 1 held its own at 1.8 million viewers on ABC. Over the regular season, each one of her games averaged 1.178 million viewers, nearly triple the league’s average of 394,000. As Parker revealed Taurasi’s take on Bloomberg Originals, people clearly haven’t forgotten about Clark and there is a high level of interest wherever she makes an appearance. Clark doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

The rookie sensation’s next target? The golf course. Having always been vocal about her love for golf, she’s about to make waves in the LPGA, too. The Golf Channel is so pumped about her debut that they’re bumping up their ‘Golf Today’ show coverage to feature her pre-tournament warm-ups and in-round moments. And now, even the NBA demands a player like CC to boost their viewership. 

NBA eyes Caitlin Clark-like player

While W is on the rise, NBA viewership seems to be slipping. As an article by Front Office Sport put it, “Young stars like Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker have yet to attract the same audience as the aforementioned trio, in part because of their lack of titles.”

While the “big three” of Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant proved their continued draw at the Paris Olympics, the NBA is on the hunt for its next franchise magnet. A recent Front Office Sports report laid out that viewership for the NBA games on TNT has taken a 29% hit this season compared to last.

Hence, it’s clear that the NBA is eyeing the “Caitlin Clark effect.” But finding the next Clark might be difficult. Let us see if anyone manages to touch or surpass her records in the future.