The rise of the WNBA is a hot topic at the moment, with CBA demands revolving around the surge and other leagues also looking at the ‘W’ for inspiration. Data shows that the WNBA dominates 2025 online search growth at 140% while outpacing UFC. Caitlin Clark’s name always appears when analysts and media talk about this unprecedented growth.
In a recent debate, Nick Wright supported this thought and mentioned that the WNBA star is more famous than NBA stars like Jayson Tatum and Victor Wembanyama. Former Hawks star Jeff Teague shared his point of view on the same.
Jeff Teague Fires Back At Caitlin Clark’s Wild Popularity Claim
The Fever guard had been in many wild discussions recently with Reggie Miller comparing her to Payton Pritchard, to CBA delays impacting her WNBA return. But she was rarely challenged for her popularity, at least by any analyst. Amid this, NBA analyst Nick Wright sees the 2024 WNBA Rookie as the most famous basketball star, surpassing young stars from the league, garnering more views and attention from fans.
Talking on ‘Club 520 Podcast’, the former NBA champion Teague said, “Caitlin Clark’s big in the States. Wemby big everywhere. When she was behind the bench at Pike I didn’t even recognize her. I didn’t know it was her until she was at the door.”
Jeff Teague says he doesn’t believe that Caitlin Clark is more famous than Wemby, Tatum, and similar NBA stars when it comes to overall public recognition, but he believes that if she released her own signature shoe, it would outsell theirs." pic.twitter.com/wmwgbZn80Y
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@chatnigga101) February 19, 2026
Although it seemed to contradict Wright’s claims, he added that CC’s signature shoe release will outsell NBA stars’ shoe lines.
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Everyone defines popularity differently, but CC maintains top spot on many lists. As for franchise owners, revenue defines the popularity, and the former Iowa star tops that mark on his list.
New York Liberty Owner Is Proud Of Caitlin Clark’s Impact
The WNBA saw a multi-fold increase in its revenue since 2024, and the Fever franchise enjoyed huge success in the same period. The Liberty owner also acknowledged the growth and gave credit to the Fever star.
“Caitlin Clark definitely had an effect on the WNBA. All the metrics went up, so this was last season, right when she first came into the league from college, and we’ve seen all of our metrics from viewership, ticket sales, (and) sponsorship. Everything went up like almost 4x. So the economic impact that she’s made to the league is extraordinary,” he said on the All In Podcast.
🎥Joe Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty, speaks on Caitlin Clark’s impact & how it benefited the whole WNBA. Her star power brought viewership & revenue by 4X 😲! pic.twitter.com/spvplscXwG
— JMac | Ball Up | 🏀🏈 (@Gameis_gameLFG) February 6, 2026
The CBA talks show similar situations for the WNBPA, while the WNBA is not convinced of the futuristic incomes.