Every current and former player in the NBA likely had their eyes glued to the TV screens to witness Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. But when Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was asked if she tuned into Game 1 to see the finals in action, she simply revealed what she preferred to do over watching the NBA’s greatest event.
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Clark revealed that she was initially tuned into the Women’s College Softball World Series, a program she claimed was a bit more entertaining to watch, compared to Game 1. However, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star admitted that she eventually also paid attention to the NBA Finals, eventually choosing to alternate back-and-forth between the two programs.
“I had the women’s college softball World Series on instead, it was a little bit better. But then I flicked back to the NBA and I was flipping back and forth. There’s a girl that pitches for Texas who’s a freshman that actually lived a couple streets over from me growing up, so I was rooting for the Texas Longhorns.” [per Matthew Byrne]
Caitlin Clark was asked if she watched the NBA Finals last night: “I had the women’s college softball World Series on instead… there’s a girl that pitches for Texas who’s a freshman that actually lived a couple streets over from me growing up.”
Full clip: pic.twitter.com/p2domXbQcz
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) June 7, 2024
As shocking as Caitlin Clark’s decision may seem at first, it appears that she wasn’t the only one to make it. As per Front Office Sports, Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks garnered an average of just 10.99 million viewers. This makes it the least-watched opening game of the NBA Finals outside of the COVID seasons (2020 and 2021) since 2007.
To be fair to the league, this could have been partially due to the contest turning into a blowout from very early on. That said, Clark’s decision to watch a women’s sporting event over the NBA Finals does reflect a change in how the general public perceives the different avenues of sports today. And it is a change that the WNBA star has been a massive proponent of for some time now.
Caitlin Clark advocating for women’s sports
In her post-game press conference, Caitlin Clark advocated for women’s sports. Talking about her interest in women’s softball, basketball, and other sports across the facet, Clark has always tried to improve the narrative around it.
The Fever star was the center of attention when she was fouled hard by Chennedy Carter during a game against the Chicago Sky. But when asked what she had to say about that altercation, the young rookie was adamant about keeping her focus on the game instead.
“My focus is basketball. Sometimes it stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball and not the product on the floor and the amazing players that are on the floor and how good they are.”
It’s clear that Clark was only looking to promote the women’s game in any way she possibly could. Even in a situation where she would have been justified to criticize her opponent, she did nothing more than bring the focus back to the quality of play on the court.
With her presence already having a massive effect on the viewership of the WNBA, who knows just what she could do for women’s sports leagues across the board, as time passes?
