“The Caitlin Clark Effect” — What’s Our Role as Marketers?

In April 2023, Caitlin Clark, one of the breakout stars of the NCAA women's basketball championship, made headlines during the game’s fourth quarter — not for a game-winning play, but for being on the receiving end of? a “You Can’t See Me” hand wave from LSU star Angel Reese. Media coverage of the moment, which was uneven at best, and downright biased at worst, largely ignored that the tournament darling had made the same gesture herself, earlier in the tournament.?

One year later, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Caitlin Clark. But while so much has changed for WNBA athletes this year, inequalities in coverage and attention have not.

Clark’s rapid rise in the public eye has helped bring more eyes than ever to women’s sports — especially basketball. For a sport, and fanbase, that’s faced a history fraught with biases, there are many benefits from the added attention and eyeballs Clark has brought to college basketball and the WNBA. But are there dangers to this sudden elevation and heroism of just one player??

Following a record-breaking college career at the University of Iowa, new fans of women’s hoops declared Clark the savior of women’s basketball and the main player worthy of attention. In fact, despite losing in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA National Championship games, Clark garnered all the attention. Even after an incredible performance by Dawn Staley’s undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks littered with underclassmen and accomplishing the unthinkable; the media cycle was focused on Clark’s loss and her upcoming entry into the WNBA draft, where she was expected to be the number one overall pick.

The WNBA has a total of 12 active teams (two expansions have been announced in the last year) with 12 players on each roster, a total of 144 players. In 2023, less than 50% of those who were drafted made an opening day roster. What does all of this mean? All 144 active players are very good at basketball and they have been very good at basketball decades before Caitlin Clark suited up for Indiana--and even Iowa.

After the WNBA draft, the media was more focused on Caitlin and how she would transition into the league, with most already crowning her the W’s next MVP. Most were surprised to find that her game didn’t immediately translate, blaming other players and teams for targeting her, giving her the ‘rookie treatment’ and defending her harder than usual.

So where do we, as marketers, come in?

Our role in marketing is largely focused on shaping narratives and influencing our audiences. When planning for campaigns, we have the power to convince our clients who should be the center of them.?

When Iowa lost to South Carolina, we had the chance to advise brands to jump into that cultural conversation by engaging coach Dawn Staley and her championship team.

When Chennedy Carter was positioned as vicious for a heated moment with Clark (one that happens across all sports), she was the recipient of online hate and even a letter penned from a Indiana Congressman to the Indiana governor, we could have celebrated the competitor in her alongside other great players, just as the media has done for Caitlin.

Rather than highlighting newer fans of the WNBA, we should be celebrating the “day ones” who have been following their teams before the rest of the world took notice.

Instead of focusing on one new player, we should be uplifting players--like Kelsey Mitchell--who have had that DOG in them before the mainstream media took an interest.

The point is — and I know you’ll all know this one — with great power, comes great responsibility. As marketers, we have the responsibility to advise our clients on how to add value to a complex and textured conversation, and not just ride the latest trend.?

We have the power and should DO something with it.