ESPN Executive Pushes Back On Caitlin Clark 'Singular Player' WNBA Narrative

An ESPN executive shared an interesting opinion about the "Caitlin Clark Effect".

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark speaks at a press conference. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Anybody who follows women's basketball is well aware of what the "Caitlin Clark Effect" is. The narrative that the 24-year-old Indiana Fever superstar has been the riding tide to lift all other women's basketball boats, so to speak, isn't anything new.

Yet, there is still some discussion about just how much No. 22 should be credited for the sport's massive growth, especially given that she missed most of the 2025 WNBA season because of various soft-tissue injuries, and the league still set records in viewership.

There have been many fascinating opinions shared on this. But perhaps someone whose job it is to bring and sustain viewership should be among the voices most heeded.

WNBA star Caitlin Clark | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ESPN Exec Explains Why Fans Are Staying After Caitlin Clark Boom

Susie Piotrkowski, who works as ESPN’s VP of women’s sports programming and espnW, shared a strong stance on this during a Front Office Sports event last week.

“I say this in quite literally the most positive way possible: Caitlin’s a gateway drug for some people to women’s sports,” Piotrkowski said, per a YouTube video from "Front Office Sports News".

“If that brought you in, I’m going to keep you here. And nobody wants the finger wagged at them, especially if you've been in sports for 20-plus years, and you've worked at ESPN, and you've built other parts of our business. It's my job to build the bridge to get you to understand that this is the best business opportunity. I’m not going to make you feel silly if you don’t get it, or you still think, ‘Oh, so is that rating because of the Caitlin Clark effect?’" Piotrkowski continued.

Caitlin Clark looks on from the sideline | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

"Well, she’s been out of college basketball for a long time. I’m going to tell you why it is more than that. And that’s okay if you’ve come by way of her; now I’m going to tell you why it’s necessary for you to stay here.”

Piotorkowski later added. “Caitlin didn't play from early July on. Most-watched WNBA regular season, most-watched WNBA playoffs, right? So, I think every single one of us can say [that] what Caitlin has done for our business is incomparable. However, people are coming because the product is excellent. And they are not leaving. And that is even without one singular player."

In other words, Piotorkowski is saying that while Caitlin Clark has been a "gateway drug" to getting interest in women's basketball, the sustained growth in the wake of her injuries is because fans have enjoyed what they see even when Clark is sidelined.