103M Americans on the Verge of a Breakdown as National Analyst’s Audacious Claim Unites Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins

The most exclusive fortress in men’s professional basketball once felt impervious, is now buckling under the threat of an unlikely challenger. The WNBA Supercharged by talents like Caitlin Clark and the buzz around future phenoms like JuJu Watkins, women’s basketball is enjoying a renaissance. But as these women light up courts around the country, an outspoken analyst feels we are entering the twilight of the NBA’s reign.

Sports analyst Jason Whitlock is never shy with an opinion, but his latest take is rocking the basketball world. He went all in after watching JuJu Watkins score 38 points for USC: “The NBA is done; it is on borrowed time. The clock is ticking. As I’ve been saying for the past year, the women’s game is going to surpass the men’s game. The WNBA is going to be more popular than the NBA. It will happen in our lifetime; in my view, it will happen in the next three to five years.” He is very sure. At this point, fans of the NBA are hugging their jerseys to their chests. But Whitlock didn’t stop there.

He even took it one step further, saying, “The women’s game is going to catch up to them because when JuJu Watkins gets to the WNBA and becomes a real rival to Caitlin Clark, it’s done for the NBA.”

It may sound like a wild take at first, but there’s merit to it. Caitlin Clark is already rewriting the game. Since her arrival with the Indiana Fever, she’s attracted a wave of new fans. Adding a new demographic to the WNBA’s population. And more people are watching, buying merch, and getting hyped for women’s basketball than ever before. And this isn’t hype — the numbers tell the story.

When WNBA attendance increased by almost 50% in 2024 compared to the previous year. All of the teams in the league witnessed an increment in two digits, but Clark’s Indiana Fever was the one who announced the highest figure. Games played at home are now attended by an average of 17,035 fans — an astounding 319% increase. The hype is real.

TV ratings and ad dollars? Also skyrocketing. Over the past four seasons (since 2022), Disney has seen its WNBA ad revenue increase by an astounding 641%. Between expanding to Golden State, Toronto, and Portland, the league is not only growing but flourishing. The momentum is undeniable.

Will Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins’ rivalry challenge the NBA?

Now, picture what happens when JuJu Watkins comes into the WNBA. Whitlock is already dubbing her a “light-skinned Kobe Bryant, light-skinned Michael Jordan in female form.”

Even the NBA legend Charles Barkley is weighing in. He said, “Caitlin is a supernova and JuJu probably’s a better player. So those two women going to be running the WNBA for the next 10, 12, 14, 15, 20 years, basically.”

via Imago

That’s incredible praise coming from some of the biggest names in the sport. And yes, sure, Whitlock saying the WNBA will surpass the NBA in a few short years sounds a bit extreme, but one cannot deny the momentum that is occurring in women’s basketball.

Sure, the NBA continues to boast roughly 103 million fans in the United States. However, WNBA is catching up quickly. And with Caitlin Clark already shifting the landscape and Watkins right on her tail, the notion of a women’s league soaring higher, well ahead of anyone’s timetable, is not far-fetched.

So, is Whitlock right? We can clarify the question: Will the WNBA reach greater heights than the NBA? Not tomorrow, perhaps, though with stars like Clark and Watkins paving the path, it’s evident that women’s hoops is doing more than growing—it’s dominating.