In 2024, the NBA and WNBA collided on All-Star Weekend in the form of a three-point contest.
Steph Curry, the greatest three-point shooter the NBA has ever seen, was pitted against New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu to decide once and for all which league had the deadliest sharpshooter. Curry edged Ionescu, 29-26, and took home the championship belt.
This event was a big event for the WNBA, as it was a chance to put the league's best shooter in the public eye. At that point in time, the league was yet to see the large bump in television ratings it now experiences on a nightly basis.
Then Cailtin Clark came along
The rookie sensation drew millions of fans, both in ratings and ticket sales, to the WNBA and help skyrocket league interest. She has been a part of ad campaigns with State Farm, Gatorade, and Nike, making her one of the most marketable athletes in the world-- male of female.
Since that three-point challenge in early 2024, fans have been calling for another league crossover that would pit Curry against Clark. Both are known for not only hitting three-pointers, but rather the distance at which those shots are taken. Ionescu is a deadly spot-up shooter, but Clark's game relates more to Curry's.
To some fans' disappointment, Clark's representation announced Wednesday that she would not compete in any such event. While we may never get that dream matchup we hoped for, what many don't realize is how much of a win this is for the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark wants her first 3-point contest to come at the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis and will not participate in a special challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend, her representatives at Excel Sports said Wednesday. https://t.co/Go4g8oghEU
— ESPN (@espn) January 29, 2025
Sure, dropping Caitlin Clark in the middle of NBA All-Star Weekend is sure to turn some heads. Clark is a huge name in the WNBA, Curry is one of the greatest basketball players in the sport's history. The event would create a seismic boom in NBA All-Star ratings.
But Clark is already seeing those numbers every time she puts on a Fever uniform.
The WNBA should be celebrating this time around. Sure, the fans want this. But Clark's refusal means one extremely important thing:
You can only watch Caitlin Clark by turning on the WNBA
Think about how far this league has come. The WNBA has never produced a profitable season. It's existence is thanks to the NBA and the revenue it uses to subsidize the league. Then, in 2024 alone, ratings exploded. Merchandise and ticket sales were at all-time highs. Arenas, especially the ones that the Indiana Fever played in, were sold out at a higher rate than ever before.
So yes, a Caitlin Clark-Steph Curry three-point contest would be sports entertainment at its finest.
But Clark knows what she brings to the table-- and she's saving it for her league, not theirs.