By this point, Caitlin Clark has gotten used to generous compliments. This week, one analyst went as far as to compare her to three NBA icons.

On an episode of his “What’s Wright?” podcast, Nick Wright made a claim regarding the Indiana Fever star’s global reach.

“The single most famous basketball player under the age of 35 years old is Caitlin Clark,” Wright argued. “The three most famous basketball players right now are 41-year-old LeBron James, and then 37-year-old and 38-year-old Steph and KD.”

Wright, whose fervent support for LeBron James is well documented, went on to indict the NBA’s younger franchise players for failing to keep up with the older generation.

“Anthony Edwards, Luka, Jokic, Giannis, those guys have not ascended to that level,” Wright claimed.

It seems, then, that Wright is implying the superiority of Caitlin Clark over the likes of Doncic and Edwards in the popularity department. But does this idea hold weight?

It’s hard to pin down the concept of “popularity,” but there are some metrics worth looking at. For instance, Doncic led all NBA All-Star starters this season with around 3.4 million votes; meanwhile, Clark garnered 1.2 million votes for the WNBA All-Star game.

In terms of social media following, the LA Lakers superstar has a combined 13.2 million followers across X and Instagram. Clark, on the other hand, has 4.1 million followers in these platforms.

Of course, CC has carved a niche of her own, earning the title of TIME magazine’s Athlete of the Year in 2024 and getting recognized for her contributions to not only women’s basketball, but the sport as a whole. Wright’s claim, then, sparks a vigorous debate about the value of popularity among NBA and WNBA athletes alike.

WNBA Owner Praises Caitlin Clark for Her “Extraordinary” Impact on League’s Popularity

As the WNBA and WNBPA continue negotiations on a new CBA, a WNBA owner’s comments on Caitlin Clark have resurfaced online.

Back in the All-In Summit in September 2025, New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai praised Clark as a singular force that drives the league’s popularity.

“Caitlin Clark definitely had an effect on the WNBA. All the metrics went up, from viewership, ticket sales, sponsorships. Everything went up almost four times,” Tsai said at the time. “The economic impact that she’s made is extraordinary, undeniable.”

If anything, the power of Clark’s brand is proof that WNBA players are capable of generating significant interest from sports fans.