Context:

Caitlin Clark has been described as a 'unicorn' by former Miami Marlins president David Samson, who argues that the WNBA is attempting to downplay her significant impact. Samson highlights Clark's ability to draw massive audiences, referencing a preseason game she played in that attracted 1.3 million viewers, a number surpassing any NBA preseason game audience in the past seven years and even the last WNBA finals. He asserts that Clark has become a pivotal figure for the league, potentially leading to better TV deals and a transformative collective bargaining agreement for players. Samson suggests that without Clark, while the league's numbers are improving, they do not reach the extraordinary levels seen with her involvement. Stephanie Kaloi, a freelance writer with The Sporting News, echoes the importance of recognizing Clark's influence in the sports industry, particularly in women's basketball.

Dive Deeper:

• Caitlin Clark is portrayed as a transformative figure in the WNBA, with David Samson labeling her as a 'unicorn' due to her unique impact on audience engagement and revenue generation for the league.

• A preseason game featuring Caitlin Clark drew an unprecedented 1.3 million viewers, a figure that eclipses the viewership of any NBA preseason game in the last seven years and even the WNBA finals, highlighting her significant draw.

• Samson argues that the WNBA is attempting to minimize Clark's influence, despite her role as a catalyst for potential lucrative TV deals and a transformative collective bargaining agreement that could benefit all players.

• The comparison of Clark's game viewership to historical MLB and NBA games underscores her exceptional ability to attract audiences, marking her as an essential asset for the league's growth.

• Stephanie Kaloi, through her work with The Sporting News, emphasizes the importance of acknowledging Clark's influence in shaping the future of women's basketball and the broader sports industry.

• Caitlin Clark is a "unicorn" says former Miami Marlins president David Samson, and the WNBA has "tried to show she is not that."

• Samson offered his take in an episode of his podcast "Nothing Personal with David Samson" recently.

• Pushing a quick one out here and I’m back off the grid. David Samson talks about Caitlin’s financial impact on the league but also why they so desperately need to find the next Caitlin Clark.
  
  Full Video Here: https://t.co/xjkJaCkI5X pic.twitter.com/hgWCqp823v

• — Ken Swift (@kenswift) May 8, 2025 In a clip shared on X, Samson notes the recent preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian National Team pulled in "1.3 million people [who] watched it on ESPN."

• More: Ratings for Caitlin Clark's preseason game just obliterated the NBA… yes, the NBA

• "1.3 million people — put that in perspective ... No NBA pre-season game has had that audience in the last seven years. Only two pre-season games in the NBA have had that audience in the last 15 years. More people watch this pre-season game than Game 1 of last year's WNBA finals. No MLB Spring training game has ever come close," he continued.

• "The most is when 912,000 people watched the Yankees' vs. Phillies, and that was 20 years ago. 1.3 million people watched Caitlin Clark. It is impossible to have any other conclusion than you are dealing with a unicorn. And what the WNBA's tried to do is show that she's not that."

• "They've tried to show that she has been the bridge over which the rest of the league will walk into greener pastures, into better TV deals, into a CBA that changes the life of all the players in the league based on all the excitement and all the revenue that is being generated by Caitlin Clark," Samson also said. "And then you realize that without Caitlin Clark, numbers are good, numbers are improving, but not like this."