Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA and women's sports is undeniable — her popularity has been responsible for a measured increase in game attendance and viewership in 2024 and 2025. And according to Jess Smith, president of the Golden State Valkyries, Clark should also be credited with bringing "the traditional sports fan" into the WNBA for once and for all.
In an interview with Rapid Response published Thursday, Smith also said that there have been "so many different moments in time that have led us" to this current inflection point in women's sports, in which we are all experiencing "this full scale, high level expansion." In other words, the WNBA is no longer in survival mode.
Clark, she continued, is fun for viewers because of her shooting ability, but "she's brought into the league the traditional sports fan," Smith added, a key demographic. Those fans started watching because "there was great basketball happening" and ended up following Clark into the WNBA, and have since formed attachments to more players and teams than just Clark and/or the Fever.
"She's a great force, and a great athlete within this league," Smith added.
Visiting the Chase Center was a different experience for Caitlin Clark
Smith also spoke about the first time Clark and the Fever made it out to the Chase Center, or Ballhalla as the Valkyries refer to their home court. "I think for us, it was a really monumental moment actually welcoming Indiana into the Chase Center," she said.
Smith added that while speaking to reporters the week of the June 19 game, she realized that the moment was big for Clark, too. "Caitlin's used to traveling and having tons of fans wherever she goes," Smith said, "and I think she always will. But I don't know if she was used to coming into an arena that was a sea of violet, and [where] truly there is a home court advantage."
The Valkyries have been oft-lauded for the way the franchise has built a dedicated fan base so soon in its first season, a feat that hasn't really been seen at any other point in the league's history. Golden State regularly sells out the 18,000+ seat Chase Center, and fans are extremely dedicated to rooting for their home team.
That's the kind of reception Clark gets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the Fever's home games, but it isn't a guarantee when the team travels elsewhere. The Valkyries beat the Fever 88-77 in June, a major feat for a brand new team.