WNBA star claims leagues history was 'erased for a minute' amid Caitlin Clark's rise in popularity

WNBA prima A’ja Wilson has been speedy to propulsion backmost connected the reasons wherefore the league has gained successful popularity implicit the past 2 years, and the communicative that Caitlin Clark is the large driver.

The Indiana Fever prima has surely helped turn the WNBA’s popularity since she entered the league successful 2024. The Fever’s regular-season crippled against the Chicago Sky backmost successful May drew an mean of 2.7 cardinal viewers – bully for the astir watched regular-season crippled successful history. There’s nary denying that Clark has played a immense relation successful those numbers.

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Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) looks connected against the Minnesota Lynx successful the 2nd fractional during the Commissioner's Cup last astatine Target Center connected July 1, 2025.  (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)

In an interrogation with Time mag aft being named the outlet’s subordinate of the year, Wilson said she believed the past of the WNBA was being "erased for a minute" successful the midst of Clark’s emergence.

"It wasn’t a deed astatine me, due to the fact that I’m going to bash maine regardless," Wilson said. "I’m going to triumph this MVP, I’ll triumph a golden medal, y’all can’t shingle my resume. It was much so, let’s not suffer the recipe. Let’s not suffer the history. It was erased for a minute. And I don’t similar that. Because we person tons of women that person been done the grimiest of grimy things to get the league wherever it is today."

The Las Vegas Aces halfway has made her thoughts astir Clark clear.

Wilson, successful an interrogation with The Associated Press successful 2024, agreed determination was a contention constituent to the sharpshooter’s popularity.

"I deliberation it’s a immense thing. I deliberation a batch of radical whitethorn accidental it’s not astir Black and White, but to me, it is," Wilson said. "It truly is due to the fact that you tin beryllium top-notch astatine what you are arsenic a Black woman, but yet possibly that’s thing that radical don’t privation to see.

Las Vegas Aces halfway A'ja Wilson (22) shoots a escaped propulsion during the archetypal fractional of crippled 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals astatine Mortgage Matchup Center connected Oct. 10, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)

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"They don’t spot it arsenic marketable, truthful it doesn’t substance however hard I work. It doesn’t substance what we each bash arsenic Black women, we’re inactive going to beryllium swept underneath the rug. That’s wherefore it boils my humor erstwhile radical accidental it’s not astir contention due to the fact that it is."

She past broached the taxable of a contention treble modular successful a abstracted interrogation with Time earlier this year. She spoke connected Clark talking astir the expected "privilege" she benefits from.

"I cognize [Clark] got a batch of backlash from that, due to the fact that evidently we unrecorded successful a satellite wherever they don't privation that, and it's exhausting," Wilson said successful February. "But ideate dealing with that and past having to spell retired and play each azygous night, having to perpetually person to worry, How are they astir to downgrade my résumé now? What much bash I person to bash successful bid to showcase however elite and however superior I instrumentality my job? But I besides bash it with emotion and passionateness and fun.

Las Vegas Aces halfway A'Ja Wilson (22) celebrates during the 2025 WNBA Championship parade astatine Toshiba Plaza connected Oct. 17, 2025.  (Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images)

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"A batch of radical don't privation to spot maine astatine the top, and that's fine, but I'm gonna beryllium there, due to the fact that I worked my butt disconnected to get there."

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