Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers are expected to create one of the WNBA’s signature rivalries over the next decade. The two stars have also helped shape their organizations into championship contender.
With their next matchup on the horizon, many Clark fans are annoyed at what they believe is a clear marketing slight by the league, with a prominent sports media member calling out the league.
Clay Travis Calls Out WNBA For Excluding Caitlin Clark From Marquee Graphic
League TV partner Ion will broadcast the upcoming Fever vs Wings game, and released a promotional graphic that angered Travis for not including Clark. Travis said “The WNBA refusing to promote Caitlin Clark is impossible to explain. Imagine the NBA not using Jordan, Kobe, or LeBron when promoting their teams.”
The graphic highlights the Wings’ signature stars in Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, while The Fever side of the graphic highlights reserve forward Lexie Hull and rookie guard Raven Johnson. Travis believes Clark’s omission wasn’t an accident.
Travis is sure to start another round of intense debates on both sides of the conversation. Many of Clark’s fans continue to argue that the WNBA doesn’t promote her as strongly as they should, and is only hurting their business.
Critics of Clark often acknowledge her star power, but argue it’s the league’s other stars that are neglected while Clark is often viewed as the only player that matters in the league by a large section of Clark fans.
The Fever also has All-Star and MVP candidate Kelsey Mitchell and All-Star Aliyah Boston on the roster, who were admitted from the graphic, as well as top reserve Sophie Cunningham, who has become one of the most discussed athletes in women’s sports.
Boston is listed as day-to-day on the Fever’s latest injury report, along with Clark, who has been dealing with back pain. Fans who believe Travis is overreacting may cite Clark’s current status on the injury report as a reason she was left off the promotional graphic in case she doesn’t play.
Travis compares Clark to NBA icons Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, a comparison that may also draw pushback from some critics. While Clark is viewed as a generational player, similar to those NBA icons, critics may argue that she needs to win a championship before being included in the same conversation as those names.
There’s an argument that players like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, who have MVP Awards and championships, should be viewed as having the stature of Jordan, Bryant, and James when discussing women’s basketball.
With both sides seemingly locked into their current viewpoints, Clark remains under the microscope as she looks to help the Fever win a championship this season.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.