Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark has changed perspectives of women’s basketball and sports from her college days to the WNBA.
A new study conducted by market-research firm YouGov found Clark is the most popular women’s basketball player in the US and that her broad appeal with both men and women rivals that of superstar male athletes like LeBron James.
Clark was rated positively by 42% of US adults. She ranked particularly high among males; 49% of the men surveyed viewed her positively, as did 33% of the women.
“There’s definitely a moment in women’s and female athletics right now where I think there’s an increasing level of respect and acknowledgement of the level that they’re playing at,” Nicole Pike, the senior vice president and head of sports & gaming at YouGov, told Business Insider. “That has in part played into the overall positive ratings for her, again, across genders, which is really fascinating.”
The findings, published by YouGov Profiles, were based on an ongoing survey of over 400,000 panelists in the US that rated over 450 active athletes. The data was based on responses from May 2023 to May 2024.
Clark’s influence has contributed to sold-out arenas and increased viewership and attendance at collegiate and professional levels. Pike said the media coverage surrounding Clark has also helped bring more attention to women’s sports.
“There’s so much content out about her that I think that definitely helped to increase awareness,” she said.
