Sue Bird has called out ESPN First Take hosts Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe for contributing to the perception that WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark is the sole catalyst for the game’s growth, particularly during the playoffs.
Bird, a WNBA legend herself, voiced her concerns about the narrative that casts a shadow over other talented players who have been pivotal in the league’s progress. According to Sports Media Watch, Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty averaged 1.14 million viewers across ABC and ESPN. By those metrics, it was the most-watched Game 1 in history after Clark was already eliminated from the playoffs in Round 1.
The growing figures continued a streak of ratings success and celebrated the highest viewership for a WNBA Finals game since Game 3 of the 2003 Finals between the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock. Bird didn’t hold back on her podcast addressing Clark’s impact on viewership and the broader narrative surrounding women’s basketball.
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The Seattle Storm legend conceded that the Indiana Fever star has proven to be a massive draw for fans, contributing to astronomical ratings when she plays. But the 13-time All-Star and four-time WNBA Champion noted that the games have been record-breaking even without Clark. “The WNBA playoff semifinal games, where Caitlin is not in it because her team lost, are still breaking records from previous years. They are still cracking a million viewers,” she said.
Bird emphasized the significance of these numbers and how they reflect the growing interest in women’s basketball: “These numbers are still really high, and they are still really meaningful. And they still show and tell a story of the viewership that is being gained in the WNBA.”
Bird then addressed Sharpe and Smith, who she feels have been overly critical of the league. “What I don’t understand is they work for ESPN. So why are you hating on a business you are in?” she asked. “It’s not that they can’t be critical of certain things… But I don’t understand the framing of that.”
The WNBA continues to see an increase in growth from last year (
Getty)
Sharpe addressed dropping attendance figures since Clark and the Fever were swept by the Connecticut Sun but did not address the increase from last year. On his podcast, Smith said: “Let’s just say the ratings aren’t the same with Caitlin Clark now being eliminated,” also omitting the league’s overall growth.
Both Stephen A and Sharpe faced criticism from fans online for their lessened coverage of the WNBA, particularly since Clark’s elimination. Fans have noticed a drop in discussion about the WNBA playoffs and finals despite the league’s historic viewership numbers, as Sharpe and Johnson instead focused on the NFL’s slate of Sunday games.
One comment left on the latest episode of Nightcap directly addressed this issue, with a fan asking: “Unc, Are you going to talk about the WNBA semifinals or Finals at all? Finals Game 1 had over a million views and was amazing. Or we only going to talk about a particular player on your show?”
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