Fans are going to arenas in greater numbers to see elite professional women athletes participate in the WNBA, which has been slowly gaining popularity.
The league is home to well-known players like Sue Bird, A’ja Wilson, and Candace Parker, but legend Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers feels that rookie Caitlin Clark has eclipsed these veterans.
On a recent episode of “Steam Room,” Charles Barkley and co-host Ernie Johnson talked about the recent rise in media attention for Clark. Barkley said he was worried that although Clark’s popularity is good, it could make other experienced players less visible.
The conversation brought up the fact that Clark‘s team, the Indiana Fever, has witnessed a notable rise in the number of national broadcasts for their games.
Charles Barkley provides his perspective
Recognized for his candid remarks, Barkley made it clear that while he is fine with the Fever’s games being shown on television, he is worried about how it will affect other elite players and future basketball greats like Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. Barkley said,
“When I first saw the WNBA TV schedule, the first thing I said was, ‘Oh sh*t.’ I said, ‘There’s going to be a negative impact, blowback from players, from media,” “You would think that the people who run the WNBA would be smart enough to know that there was gonna be blowback.”
Barkley stated that although he doesn’t hold Clark responsible for the attention she gets, he is critical of the league’s marketing tactics since they could unintentionally exclude women who have committed years to the WNBA and made substantial contributions to its history.
“Not to put her in a position because she is a shining star and I know you have to show her,” “I think it’s important we show her but I think that’s overkill in my personal opinion.”