Caitlin Clark's 'Silly' WNBA Playoff Criticism Is Hard to Argue With

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark knows the "next step" the WNBA must take with its postseason format.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark speaks with media members Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark explained what she believes the "next step" the WNBA should take in continuing the league's growth during her Tuesday appearance on the "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" podcast.

"Even when I was in college, you don't always realize how many people are actually watching and turning on the TV. For me, when I kind of fully realized was when I would see the [viewership] numbers up against Masters weekend or other college basketball games," Clark said.

"The amount we're drawing on a consistent basis is pretty incredible. Especially when we're on NBC, or ABC, and ESPN, we have really, really great numbers," she continued. "It has been consistent, and there has been a consistent growth about it."

"Next year, we're going from 44 games to 50 games. I think the next step after that, like right now, the playoffs are a three-game series, a five-game series, and then a seven-game series. So I think that probably needs to change. A three-game series is silly in my opinion; it could probably be 5-5-7, or 5-7-7, just so it feels like you're getting a real series, and a real battle between those two teams."

Caitlin Clark's Longer WNBA Playoff Point Would Have Been Nice for Fever

Clark isn't the only person who wants to see the WNBA expand the length of their first-round playoff series, as this has been a constant criticism for years.

It was certainly something Fever fans were vocal about after they lost to the Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-three first-round series this past season. Given how compelling and evenly matched that series was, fans were clamoring to see these two teams square off for at least two more games. And the league also would have benefited from the added viewership, which is why it makes sense for them to implement this change.

She voiced her frustration about the previous first-round format, in which the higher seed got to play the first two games of the best-of-three series at home after the Fever lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun. This was frustrating because it meant the Fever weren't guaranteed to play a home game in that series.

The next year, this format was switched so that the lower seed played Game 2 at home. Perhaps her speaking up about wanting a longer first-round will convince the league a change is necessary once again.