OT: Will Caitlin Clark’s debut outdraw tonight’s games

[Mr Puddles]

Just checked the box score and discovered there’s a WNBA player with the name DeWanna Boner.

Gradey jersey swap, please.

When your last name is Boner, you should have the common sense to not include the word "wanna" in your daughter's first name.

[BigGargamel]

10 turnovers and the team lost by 20, but don't let that stop ESPN from running the headline they did. They're shameless.

[LordCovington33]

10 turnovers and the team lost by 20, but don't let that stop ESPN from running the headline they did. They're shameless.

What was the headline!

[Tor_Raps]

So what were the ratings? Did Caitlin outdraw the Knicks/Pacers playoff game like the OP thought?

[Michael Bradley]

So what were the ratings? Did Caitlin outdraw the Knicks/Pacers playoff game like the OP thought?

According to Sports Media Watch:

Knicks/Pacers: 4.88 million
Wolves/Nuggets: 4.51 million
Clark game: 2.12 million

The Clark game did beat the NHL playoff game though (1.98 million).

[Wingy]

Anyone watching WNBA instead of NBA playoffs shouldn't be posting on this board. Full stop.

Also, there is a WNBA board here, you should discuss WNBA there.

From a neutral fan perspective, the Knicks series isn’t really interesting to me. Both teams have no shot at winning anything.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

Huge Thibs fan, and like a lot of the Knicks players…but they’re just so injured, let’s be real. Indy/NY from neutral perspective is just going through the motions to figure out who Boston’s going to beat. Just feels completely inconsequential. If NY was healthy, a series between them and Boston would be a ton of fun.

[Wingy]

I was really just pointing out that Clark was called for two quick brush fouls, that were fouls, but ones you’d never see an NBA star get called for.

In the NBA, we make the argument, “well, fans didn’t pay to see <insert star> ride the bench!” But many of those same fans at Clark’s first game paid a lot to see Clark. I like that the refs didn’t let that fact influence the way they called fouls.

Part of the reason that the NBA is at a low point in people’s trust in the system is because they think they see biased officiating. I think part of that is true, and removing “superstar calls” would be a good first step to help improve the NBA’s reputation.

I thought those were pretty soft though. Im with your premise, but not excited to see ticky tack fouls on anyone really. If anything it was like - we’re gonna prove there’s no favoritism by calling these!

[ghillphx]

Really curious what type rating her debut gets tonight. Although its on ESPN2 I’m surprised that ESPN/WNBA were bold enough to put it on in primetime directly competing with the NHL/NBA games tonight.

hell no

[G35]

yeah i said before they needed Caitlin out here running Harden ball and going for 50 point games nightly if they wanted to keep the hype goin

This. How does hype get generated; when someone does something first or unique. Caitlin was breaking records in college, she needs to start breaking records in the WNBA to keep the eyeballs.....

[xchange55]

Her college games had high ratings because they were nationally televised. The WBNA was on ESPN2. I'm sure a number of more casual fans tuning in for college game wouldn't have ESPN2 as cord cutting has gained a ton of traction - hence all those ESPN layoffs the past several years now.

[eyriq]

So what were the ratings? Did Caitlin outdraw the Knicks/Pacers playoff game like the OP thought?

According to Sports Media Watch:

Knicks/Pacers: 4.88 million
Wolves/Nuggets: 4.51 million
Clark game: 2.12 million

The Clark game did beat the NHL playoff game though (1.98 million).

Not bad. Would have loved a dub for the narrative but still exciting to see.

[HotRocks34]

I like Clark, but that first game was unwatchable.

She got two fouls and was on the bench fast and the refs were calling everything all game IMO.

I know people who tuned in but were gone within 15 minutes.

[shrink]

I was really just pointing out that Clark was called for two quick brush fouls, that were fouls, but ones you’d never see an NBA star get called for.

In the NBA, we make the argument, “well, fans didn’t pay to see <insert star> ride the bench!” But many of those same fans at Clark’s first game paid a lot to see Clark. I like that the refs didn’t let that fact influence the way they called fouls.

Part of the reason that the NBA is at a low point in people’s trust in the system is because they think they see biased officiating. I think part of that is true, and removing “superstar calls” would be a good first step to help improve the NBA’s reputation.

I thought those were pretty soft though. Im with your premise, but not excited to see ticky tack fouls on anyone really. If anything it was like - we’re gonna prove there’s no favoritism by calling these!

Personally, I don’t have strong feelings whether the refs call games loose or tight, but I want consistency for both teams, for star and non-star players, and consistency game-to-game that is not influenced by different reffing crews.

[Clav]

So what were the ratings? Did Caitlin outdraw the Knicks/Pacers playoff game like the OP thought?

According to Sports Media Watch:

Knicks/Pacers: 4.88 million
Wolves/Nuggets: 4.51 million
Clark game: 2.12 million

The Clark game did beat the NHL playoff game though (1.98 million).

Not bad. Would have loved a dub for the narrative but still exciting to see.

Her opening WNBA game beating the NHL playoffs is surprising, I thought the NHL playoffs garner more views than that.

[dockingsched]

Read on Twitter

Considering it was on espn2, crazy achievement.

That number beats out a couple of nba Christmas games from last year too.

[Hoop Hunter]

I hope the massive attention and media microscope doesn't destroy her. No matter what she did in college, this is the pros now.

She's a rookie, probably not going to be all-star her first season. Give her a little time.

A lot of jealousy it seems. Seems like all the players want her to fail, even though her popularity will help the WNBA and their paychecks.

[Marrrcuss]

I hope the massive attention and media microscope doesn't destroy her. No matter what she did in college, this is the pros now.

She's a rookie, probably not going to be all-star her first season. Give her a little time.

A lot of jealousy it seems. Seems like all the players want her to fail, even though her popularity will help the WNBA and their paychecks.

Thats one way to see it. One of the other ways is seeing that she hasnt won shyt but was being thrown in GOAT conversations. The media chose to cover her after the title game more than the team that actually won the game and capped an undefeated season.

But by all means, just chalk it up to jealousy.

[Mr Puddles]

I hope the massive attention and media microscope doesn't destroy her. No matter what she did in college, this is the pros now.

She's a rookie, probably not going to be all-star her first season. Give her a little time.

A lot of jealousy it seems. Seems like all the players want her to fail, even though her popularity will help the WNBA and their paychecks.

Thats one way to see it. One of the other ways is seeing that she hasnt won shyt but was being thrown in GOAT conversations. The media chose to cover her after the title game more than the team that actually won the game and capped an undefeated season.

But by all means, just chalk it up to jealousy.

She's brought more attention to the WNBA than arguably any player ever, and might start bringing a ton a viewership along with it.

WNBA players have been complaining for years that they're not being promoted enough and aren't making enough money. Now a new player comes along bringing a ton of hype, and potentially a path towards financial sustainability for the league, and these same WNBA players start trashing her and complaining that's she's only getting hyped up because she's white.

You can't have it both ways.

[WentzerWuver]

I doubt it. I haven't heard anything about this prior to now and I'm pretty tapped into media. I think she's going to be an after thought sooner than later.

People act like there’s never been wnba superstars before. The point is that it’s still the wnba and lack of support of the league will never change.

She should be a wnba superstar. That’s her ceiling

Agreed, she the Larry Bird of the WNBA.

[jfs1000d]

I hope the massive attention and media microscope doesn't destroy her. No matter what she did in college, this is the pros now.

She's a rookie, probably not going to be all-star her first season. Give her a little time.

A lot of jealousy it seems. Seems like all the players want her to fail, even though her popularity will help the WNBA and their paychecks.

Thats one way to see it. One of the other ways is seeing that she hasnt won shyt but was being thrown in GOAT conversations. The media chose to cover her after the title game more than the team that actually won the game and capped an undefeated season.

But by all means, just chalk it up to jealousy.

She's brought more attention to the WNBA than arguably any player ever, and might start bringing a ton a viewership along with it.

WNBA players have been complaining for years that they're not being promoted enough and aren't making enough money. Now a new player comes along bringing a ton of hype, and potentially a path towards financial sustainability for the league, and these same WNBA players start trashing her and complaining that's she's only getting hyped up because she's white.

You can't have it both ways.

It isn’t jealously. It is competitiveness. Clark good for wnba, lien really good.

But, the Iowa fans and Clark fans who never watched wnba have been in a for a rude awakening. Clark is nowhere near the elite players in the world right now, and Stewart showed what greatness really looked like.

Clark to good not to get there, but thoughts that she was so much better than any other hoops player in college was always kind of silly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk