Magic Johnson Settles Caitlin Clark Vs. Angel Reese Popularity Debate

Is Caitlin Clark the reason why the WNBA has been surging in popularity in recent months? Angel Reese did argue before that it's not only one person who's fueling the league's massive growth and that she and the other players have a big part on that, too. For NBA icon Magic Johnson, however, the numbers don't lie.

Speaking with the Associated Press in a recent interview, Johnson heaped praise on the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky rookies for their roles in increasing the popularity of the WNBA. However, the Los Angeles Sparks co-owner did admit that Clark's impact compared to Reese is on a whole different level.

"Those two, especially Caitlin, are definitely a direct result for what’s going on [in the WNBA]," Johnson shared. "They’ve changed college basketball. The ratings don’t lie, the numbers don’t lie.

"Then we see it right now, probably more Caitlin than Angel, coming into the league because she’s selling out arenas. Caitlin is drawing 19,000. Angel isn’t there yet, but I’m sure she’ll get there."

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark walks off the court after the game against the Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center on June 30, 2024. © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Fever (and everyone else in the WNBA) have definitely seen the Clark effect. While the league has gotten increased attention across all teams, the fact remains that Indiana has been its biggest draw.

There is a reason the Fever lead the league in attendance in road games, with an average of 15,000 fans as AP pointed out. Indiana's most recent away game against the Phoenix Mercury drew a sellout crowd of 17,071, making history as the home team's best regular season attendance since 1997.

While Ange Reese and other stars in the WNBA deserve credit for helping uplift the league, Magic Johnson couldn't simply ignore the numbers. At the end of the day, Caitlin Clark is still the biggest reason why the WNBA is drawing record numbers.