Fever coach: Caitlin Clark 'like Taylor Swift 2.0'

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White found an anecdotal comparison for guard Caitlin Clark's transcendent impact on the WNBA in another superstar that needs no introduction.

"It literally is like Taylor Swift 2.0, and because of that, her name gets thrown into a lot of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with her, or her interests, and or our team or sport, or whatever," White told IndyStar on a Fever Insider Podcast episode launching Wednesday. "And she is a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game, who loves her teammates, who loves to compete, you know, at a high level."

Like Swift, or superstar athletes such as the NBA's LeBron James, golf's Tiger Woods and now-retired tennis player Serena Williams, White contends, Clark has reached a level of fame that keeps her in the spotlight at a cost to her personal life.

"Her name grabs attention," White said on the podcast. "Her name is clickbait. Her name is utilized in a way that very few people and athletes are. It's in the same sphere as LeBron, as Serena Williams, as Tiger Woods, as Taylor Swift. I wish that Caitlin was able to just live her life however, but with the things that she's accomplished, there's a lot of responsibility and a lot of attention that comes, because she's elite at what she does."

Indiana selected Clark with the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft after her highly decorated, record-breaking career at Iowa.

Clark played in only 13 games last season, none since July 15, due to groin and ankle injuries and missed the entire postseason. She averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and career highs with 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals.

For her career, the two-time All-Star and 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year has averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 31.1 minutes in starting all 53 regular-season games.

The Caitlin Clark effect has carried over from sold-out Iowa women's basketball games to Fever contests in Indianapolis and as the league's main road attraction.

Since her arrival Clark has driven record merchandise sales and television ratings for the Fever and WNBA, which has enjoyed record numbers on all fronts. Clark has received sponsorships and national endorsement deals since she was an Iowa Hawkeye.

Minnesota Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier, a WNBA Players Association vice president, criticized league leadership at the end of her team's playoff run in September. She also revealed commissioner Cathy Engelbert purportedly made alarming comments in a private conversation in February about players' compensation, an unsettled issue for a new collective bargaining agreement between the players' union and the league. Collier wanted to know why star players like Clark, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings aren't making more money while on their rookie contracts.

"I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years," Collier said. "Her response was ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't be making anything.' "

Engelbert denied Collier's account of their conversation during a press conference three days later.

"Obviously, I did not make those comments," Engelbert said. "Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She's been a great representative of the game. She's brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game, proud of what she's put on the court."

The verbal sparring between Collier and Engelbert brought Clark's name into the dispute.

"She handles it in a way that I'm not sure most 23-year-olds would. I'm really proud of her," White said on the podcast. "Obviously, her parents and her family have done such a great job in helping prepare her for this. Most would not be able to handle it in the way that she does."

--Field Level Media