The heated debate in the basketball world over whether or not Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is the face of the league continues. On Wednesday, July 15, four-time NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar released a statement on his
Substack in which he dismisses Clark as the face of the WNBA, as it’s an insult to the greats before her. Abdul-Jabbar did acknowledge the kind of great talent she possesses.
Abdul-Jabbar’s statement has since gotten mixed reactions from onlookers, as many defended Clark as the face of the league. One of these onlookers is sports analyst Colin Cowherd, who laid out Clark’s credentials as the face of the league in a recent
episode of his show, The Herd. For Cowherd, Clark’s ability to sell out games makes her feel like the face of the WNBA.
“ Well, here’s what I know. She’s got an incredibly, historically unique game for women’s basketball. She’s an All-Star. She sells more tickets than anybody, drives most ratings, and got the entire league on private aviation. That feels like the face of the league to me… So, to me, I don’t know. If you’re the number one TV draw, you’re an All-Star, you’re the number one merchandise seller, you’ve got a little bit of charisma via controversy, that feels like the face of the league to me,” Cowherd said. (0:59)
“If you’re the number one TV draw, an All-Star, the number one merchandise seller, you’ve got a little bit of charisma via controversy – that feels like the face of the league to me.”@colincowherd breaks down why Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA pic.twitter.com/KRmo8yB3V5
Whether a player is the face of the league is often viewed as subjective since there is no official statistic to back it up. The same is the case for Clark, but her role in the growth of women’s basketball must still be highlighted. At the same time, Clark’s brand has grown tremendously; she will even have her own signature sneaker with sportswear giant Nike drop later this year.
Colin Cowherd believes being the face of any league is overrated
While Colin Cowherd defended Caitlin Clark from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the face of the WNBA, he believes that Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is currently the league’s best player. Having said this, Cowherd also asserted that being the face of the league is overrated, as it does not automatically mean you are the best.
“You know, I always thought face of the league is sort of overrated. I don’t think you really need it, even in the star-driven NBA. (Nikola) Jokic’s been the best player for, like, six years. He doesn’t have the charisma to be the face of the league. Is Tom Cruise the best actor in Hollywood? I don’t know, but he is the face of Hollywood because of Disney, Steven Spielberg, The Rock, and action movies. Nobody outside of maybe Christopher Nolan can pack a theater the way Tom Cruise can,” Cowherd shared. (0:00)
Clark is in her third year with the Indiana Fever, and she has led them to a 14-10 record in the 2026 season.
Also Read:
‘Why Didn’t It Change Before’: Ex-NFL WR Questions Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Hesitation With Caitlin Clark Being WNBA’s Face
Kevin Durant Disses Colin Cowherd and Nick Wright as 2 NBA Analysts He Wants Gone From Basketball Space
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