Ever since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA in 2024 and brought a massive new fan base with her, the debate over who deserves to be called the “face of the WNBA” has continued to divide fans. So when the Indiana Fever star delivered one of the greatest performances in league history against the Seattle Storm on Friday, that conversation exploded all over again. But this time, it drew former NFL star Robert Griffin III and national reporter Jemele Hill into the discussion.
After her 45-point performance, Griffin argued that Clark has already earned that title because of her popularity and impact on the league, which is a little less than what it would take for Hill to be convinced.
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“I appreciate the nuance in your opinion, but there is a difference between popularity, appeal, and being the face of the league,” Hill responded to Griffin’s tweet. “Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in the WNBA, and the biggest draw. She’s not the face because she’s not creating a new standard for winning (yet). She does not have accomplishments that people want to take (yet).
“What team is everyone trying to beat? The Aces. What player is everyone trying to match? A’ja Wilson. The standard for winning is A’ja. Michael Jordan became the face of the NBA because he became the standard by which every player is measured. Everyone wanted to stop him. Caitlin isn’t there.”
Three seasons in the W, Caitlin Clark is still chasing her first MVP title and a championship. So it’s not hard to see where Hill is coming from. The Fever reached the semifinals in 2025, but Clark missed most of that run due to injury. And it was four-time MVP Wilson and her team who ended up eliminating Indiana on their way to a second championship.
But Griffin had already clarified that his definition of the “face of the league” is based on visibility, recognition, and influence rather than championships. He acknowledged Wilson as the WNBA’s best player but argued that Caitlin Clark’s impact on television ratings, attendance, and the league’s overall popularity has made her the sport’s most recognizable figure.
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“Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA before she has won a championship and it has come with extreme push back from the players in the way she is guarded and treated. Just like Michael Jordan and LeBron James were,” Griffin wrote on Friday. “Will Caitlin Clark ever become the best player in the WNBA? She can. She has the ability to.
“But right now, she is the WNBA’s most recognizable player. That’s not disrespectful to the other great players in the WNBA, it’s the reality of where the WNBA was before and after Caitlin Clark showed up.”
However, he responded again.
“It’s okay to say that A’ja Wilson is the best player in the WNBA,” Griffin wrote on Saturday. “And it’s okay to say that Caitlin Clark is the Face of the WNBA.”
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There is no denying the impact Caitlin Clark has had on the WNBA since entering the league. From viewership numbers to the charter system to the new CBA deal, her arrival has changed the conversation around women’s basketball.
Just recently, Fever’s July 12 game against the Las Vegas Aces drew 2.64 million viewers, which happens to be the most-watched game of the ongoing season and the second most-watched regular-season game since 1998.
But in the end, who is the face of the WNBA will remain a matter of opinion. It all depends on whether you value accomplishments on the court or impact off it. However, as for Caitlin Clark, she’d rather focus on playing ball.
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The post “Does Not Have Accomplishments That People Want To Take”: Ex-NFL Star’s Caitlin Clark ‘Face of the WNBA’ Stance Draws Strong Reaction From National Reporter appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
