Caitlin Clark (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Fans are praising Indiana Fever rookie and star Caitlin Clark for her heartwarming move after the team’s road win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark led Indiana to a second straight victory in Minny, compiling 17 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals in an 81-74 victory. With the win, the surging Fever improved to 11-14 on the season.
After leading Indiana to victory, the rookie superstar spotted a young Fever supporter in the crowd and handed over her game-worn shoes, giving the fan an unforgettable experience of a lifetime:
Fans praised Caitlin Clark over her classy move:
What an amazing role model for all these young ladies bless her ❤️
— wade celtics 18 (@MarkThomas20805) July 15, 2024
Classy Cait👑
— Flare Knight🗡🛡☀️ (@FlareKnightFLR) July 14, 2024
The all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball has certainly lived up to expectations in her rookie year. The 2024 first overall pick is averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, putting her on a clear path to winning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.
Also Read: Caitlin Clark Receives Massive News That Puts Her In Exclusive Group With Only Michael Jordan
Clark was named to the 2024 WNBA All-Star team, another cherry on top of a special 2024 year that saw her win 2024 AP Player of the Year, James E. Sullivan Award, John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year honors in her last season at Iowa.
Caitlin Clark & Fever Look Poised To Make The Postseason
The Fever haven’t made the postseason since 2016, but they look destined to end that streak here in Clark’s rookie year.
The postseason seemed to be out of reach when Indiana started out 1,-8, 2-9 and 3-10. But they have been one of the league’s hottest teams since a season-changing win over the Washington Mystics on June 7.
Indiana has now won eight of their last 12 games, including monumental wins against the league-leading New York Liberty, the likely playoff-bound Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota on Sunday. Clark and the Fever are now three games clear of the Atlanta Dream (7-16), the ninth-seeded team.
The WNBA Just Signed A Groundbreaking New Deal Worth More Money Than They’ve Ever Seen, And It’s All Because Of Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark and Courtney Williams (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The WNBA has signed a massive national media rights deal unlike any it’s ever seen before.
The league has been receiving lots of extra attention lately, much of which is due to the arrival of Caitlin Clark. And it’s set to get paid handsomely for it.
According to a report from The Athletic, the WNBA is set to receive around $2.2 billion over the next 11 years, having negotiated deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon.
“The NBA negotiated the WNBA’s new deals during its just-completed rights talks, where it reached an agreement with Disney, NBC, and Amazon on an 11-year, approximately $75 billion set of contracts. The WNBA’s national media rights agreements are with those companies as well; ESPN, NBC, and Amazon will all have their own WNBA packages.”
The NBA’s board of governors approved the deals this week, but they aren’t official yet because Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company, claims to have matching rights for a package but has yet to decide whether to use them.
The WNBA Could Make Up To Six Times As Much As What They Make Currently, Thanks To Caitlin Clark
The WNBA’s current deals, set to expire after the 2025 season, are worth around $50 million a year. The new deals will pay around $200 million a year, but the league could make up to six times what it makes now as the new contracts allow them to bring in new partners, which is a huge possibility given Clark’s growing influence.
Two other rights packages are expected to be sold for an additional $60 million annually.
An agreement is also in place to revisit the rights deals in three years if interest in the WNBA continues to grow and the rights become undervalued.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said earlier this year that she hoped the league would at least double its rights fees. It appears expectations have been far exceeded.
