Caitlin Clark has topped another list.
Complex have released their rankings of the ’10 Most Influential Female Athletes’ and the WNBA star unsurprisingly ranks first among a whole range of stars.
Tennis star Coco Gauff begins the list at number ten, with the 21-year-old hailed for ‘generational talent’ that has seen her already pick up the 2023 US Open and nine WTA singles titles.
Rising college basketball phenom Juju Watkins follows Coco Gauff at ninth in the rankings, with fellow hoopers Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, and Sabrina Ionescu next in line.
WNBA superstar A’Ja Wilson, Team USA sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, and Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles follow, while Angel Reese secures the second spot.
Clark sits at number one in the ranking, with Complex praising the Indiana Fever guard for the way she has transformed her franchise and the WNBA.
“Clark’s impact is undeniable,” the publication wrote.
“Her presence alone boosts WNBA attendance by 105 percent compared to games without her, while road games featuring her Indiana Fever see an 87 percent increase in opponent home attendance.
“Her rookie debut sparked a staggering 200 percent jump in WNBA viewership, while Fever home games drew a league-high 186,000 fans last season, a 265 percent increase from 2023.
“Team uniform sales (of which Clark’s regularly sells out) skyrocketed by an astonishing 1,193 percent year-over-year.”
The publication is correct is recognizing Clark’s impact on the WNBA when it comes to attendance and viewership.
31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark, with almost every fixture she played in broadcast on national television.
The 22-year-old’s team, the Fever saw their attendance rise by 320 percent to a league-leading average of 17,000 per game.
Such an impact extends beyond the WNBA with economic experts also hailing Clark for the way she’s improved the local economy in Indianapolis.
“The numbers are so staggering,” said Brewer, associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus. “They don’t even seem real.
“I have her economic impact on the city of Indianapolis at $36 million and the impact on the WNBA is at least at $40 million.
“She is responsible for 26.6 percent for league wide activity. I have her attendance adjustment impact at 300 percent and revenues along with valuation of the Fever have sky-rocketed.”
While The Common Sense Institute Iowa, an economic research organization, estimated in March 2024 that the Caitlin Clark effect increased Iowa’s gross domestic product by between $14.4 million and $52.3 million.
This includes her generating about $82.5 million in consumer spending.
Such unprecedented success also paved the way for a new $78 million training center in downtown Indianapolis.
The facility will open in two years and features two full-size courts, strength and conditioning facilities, along with podcast and content production studios.
Clark, as is her stature in sports, will likely receive many more awards and top many more lists as she continues to enjoy success on and off the court.
