The real elephant in the room, is that women dont consume sports anywhere near the quantity that men do and men aren’t nearly as interested in women’s basketball than they are interested in men’s basketball. Women need to care about womens sports.
Lets be real, you can’t say the WNBA shouldnt have a cap when 99% of the teams bring in a negative cashflow, and on top of that, the WNBAs lifeline are the millions the NBA contributes year over year.
Watch this video:
Candace Parker issues challenge to sports world on Caitlin Clark: ‘Make her more of a star’
© Provided by Awful Announcing
TNT Sports broadcaster and three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker knows what it’s like for Caitlin Clark right now.
In 2008, Parker was coming off back-to-back NCAA championships under Pat Summitt at Tennessee. She joined the Los Angeles Sparks as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft before winning MVP as a rookie.
“Any time you’re able to have new eyeballs and a new fanbase … it’s going to be beneficial to not only just the Fever but to the entire WNBA,” Parker said. “My challenge to the WNBA is to continue to raise the bar, and know that with more stars comes more expectations. So I hope that we’re ready to continue to grow, and continue to build.”
Parker then explained how when she was riding high after her sensational rookie season, the legendary Diana Taurasi warned her of the comedown.
“She was like, ‘This is the heyday, and as time goes on, people forget,’” Parker said. “I hope that we take that as a challenge and say that no, we’re going to continue to raise the bar and make her more of a star.”
Clark has helped power NCAA women’s basketball to record ratings and captured the sports world’s attention for two straight springs. She enters the WNBA at an important moment for the league, coming off a record WNBA Finals with a potential rematch of two “super teams” in Las Vegas and New York looming this fall. The league will soon negotiate a new broadcast rights deal set to begin next year. Players can vote to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement later this year.
Parker will return to the Las Vegas Aces this year at age 38 for what could be her final season. She broadcasts the NBA and men’s college basketball for Warner Bros. Discovery but often uses her platform to discuss the women’s game and raise its profile too.