Journalist hilariously fails claiming WNBA's popularity isn't effected by Caitlin Clark's playoff exit
Watching left-wing media try to discredit Caitlin Clark and her dedicated fan base has been a tale as old as her rookie season. The fact remains that Clark is one of the most popular athletes in America. Her jersey sales have outdone LeBron James' since 2024, every single one of the top 15 WNBA broadcasts this season was one of her games, and every game she has played in has been a sellout. She is one of the most influential, transcendent sports figures of all time, so claiming that her playoff exit won't affect attendance and viewership is a laughable attempt at devaluing the golden goose. That's what journalist, activist, and retired NBA player Etan Thomas tried to do on Monday morning. Spoiler alert: He failed miserably.
Thomas posted a video of the crowd from Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals between the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty. At first glance, it looks like a sizable, raucous group waving their rally towels, but looks can be deceiving. Thomas framed it as a sellout, posting on X saying sarcastically, "Nobody will watch the WNBA playoffs now that Caitlin Clark is no longer playing. Support will plummet. Viewership will plunge. She is the only driving force that brings out fans." Meanwhile…..State Farm Arena Game 1 of Atlanta Fever vs New York Liberty Semi Finals yesterday.
If you take a look up from the lower bowl, above the suites, you'll realize that the entire upper bowl is tarped off. State Farm Arena holds almost 17,000 fans, but the announced attendance for the game was 9,745. Why would they do that, Etan? Maybe because they don't have Caitlin Clark coming to town. The sales and interest for the Liberty isn't anywhere close to the ticket sales juggernaut of Clark and the Fever.
This level of delusion and Caitlin Clark hate must be studied. It's clearly warped Thomas' mind because he really thought he was cooking here.
As you can imagine, Thomas got roasted in the replies.
One X user broke down the numbers in regards to attendance and viewership. It's a glorious way to show that Thomas did not think this post through before sharing.
"The attendance when they (Atlanta Dream) played the Fever this year in non playoff action...June 20, 2026: 17,044 and August 16, 2026: 17,044. They should have kept their playoff game at Gateway because they more than likely lost money for moving to the bigger venue and leaving 7,000+ seats empty!!! viewership numbers are not out but I highly doubt they will come close to August 16, 2026 (Dream vs. Fever at State Farm Arena): 2.6 million viewers on ESPN. ESPN called it the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable."
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Another user hysterically responded to the post by using a reference from The Lion King saying, "Look, son. Everything the darkness touches… those are seats that weren’t filled." I'll be honest, that made me laugh out loud.
At this point, Thomas needs to just log off. He clearly has it out for Clark, her fans, and Sophie Cunningham. He famously claimed that Cunningham had "White privilege" after she was flagrantly fouled by the Chicago Sky's DiJonai Carrington earlier this season. Carrington, after being ejected, posted on Threads: "WHITE PRIVILEGE" while tagging the Indiana Fever.
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Again, this is the problem with journalists and activists like Etan Thomas, their minds are so warped by their political worldview that they can't even comprehend that Angel Reese, A'ja Wilson, and other players, just don't come remotely close to driving audiences to buy tickets and tune into games like Caitlin Clark. Reese has improved her game and become a Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson continues to dominate the stat sheet, securing her fourth WNBA MVP this season. But, they don't sell shoes, tickets, and attract eyeballs for their games like Clark.
Thomas would do well to delete this post and save himself from further embarrassment when the viewership numbers come out. In the meantime, Clark and her fans will continue to live rent-free in his mind.