Dawn Staley Offers Insight on Caitlin Clark's Impact in the WNBA

The WNBA's popularity has surged, particularly since Caitlin Clark joined the Indiana Fever in 2024. Her arrival has catalyzed a remarkable increase in viewership and fan engagement.

Clark's enthusiastic supporters are pivotal to this momentum, prompting notable figures in women's basketball to weigh in. Dawn Staley, the esteemed South Carolina women’s basketball coach, shared her thoughts during a June 19 podcast episode of "Not Gonna Lie" hosted by Kylie Kelce.

“She’s quite an anomaly when it comes to how many eyeballs she’s bringing on the game — and new eyeballs,” Staley remarked. “The newness of those eyeballs only want her to do well. They want you to speak very highly of her, only want you to agree with what they agree with. And that’s kind of hard when we are critics to everyone who plays the game. It’s a part of the fabric of sports.”

Staley, who faced Clark twice in the Final Four while she played for the University of Iowa, acknowledged Clark's exceptional talent but emphasized the importance of identifying areas for improvement. “You want to highlight Caitlin Clark for what she does well, but if you are her opponent, you want to zero in on the things she doesn’t do well,” she explained. “She’s a risk taker when it comes to passing the ball. She’ll turn the ball over some, and that’s a great thing if you’re her opposition.”

Indeed, Clark set a new single-season turnover record as a rookie, accumulating 223 turnovers, averaging 5.6 per game. This surpassed the previous record held by Alyssa Thomas, who had 145 turnovers in 2024, averaging 3.6 per game.

However, Staley's critique was balanced with praise for Clark's skills. “To me, the most dangerous thing about Caitlin Clark is her passing ability,” she noted. “Her ability to make other people better and her ability to have other people’s production, along with her production. That’s how you win. If you can get somebody to produce along with her.”

This season, Clark is making a significant impact on the court, averaging 21.3 points and 8.7 assists per game, contributing to the Fever's 4-2 record in games she has played.