The Firestorm That No One in the WNBA Was Ready For

The WNBA thought it was ready for primetime. Then Caitlin Clark showed up—and exposed everything.

When Christine Brennan, one of America’s most respected sports journalists, pulled back the curtain on how the WNBA has mishandled Clark’s rise, what she revealed was stunning. It wasn’t just poor planning. It was full-blown systemic resistance—from executives, veteran players, and even officials—against the most important figure in women’s basketball history.

According to Brennan, this wasn’t just incompetence. It was active resentment.

From Opportunity to Disaster: How the League Fumbled Its Moment

Caitlin Clark didn’t walk into the WNBA quietly. She arrived with record-breaking college ratings, global interest, and fanbases lined up hours early just to watch warmups. She sold out arenas. She boosted TV numbers by millions. She was the walking, talking miracle the WNBA had been praying for.

And instead of rolling out the red carpet, the league rolled their eyes.

Brennan reports that when Clark declared for the 2024 draft, her call to a senior WNBA official was met with tepid comparisons—“biggest since Maya Moore.” Moore was a legend, but in terms of pop culture pull? The reaction was tone-deaf. And that was just the start.

The Pettiest League in Pro Sports?

Instead of rallying around Clark like the PGA did for Tiger Woods or the NBA for Jordan, WNBA vets greeted her with side-eyes, cheap shots, and snarky soundbites. She wasn’t treated like a star; she was treated like an intruder.

Christine Brennan exposes how this animosity seeped into everything—from flagran fouls on the court to players subtly encouraging media narratives that Clark didn’t deserve the attention.

“It’s like the league had a winning lottery ticket,” Brennan writes, “and instead of cashing it, they argued over who deserved to hold it.”

The Culture of Jealousy and Gatekeeping

Brennan paints a damning picture of a league held hostage by its own insecurities. Clark’s race, popularity, and rapid success stirred deep, unspoken divisions. In a league that’s 74% Black, some veterans saw Clark—white, blonde, from Iowa—as an outsider getting preferential treatment.

But instead of viewing her popularity as a tide that lifts all boats, many saw it as a threat to their own legacy.

“She didn’t pay her dues,” some whispered.
“The media only likes her because she’s white,” others claimed.

And while those are complex, valid conversations, Brennan shows that instead of tackling them constructively, many inside the WNBA opted for open hostility and sabotage.

Missed Marketing Gold

Brennan torches the league’s front office for their failure to capitalize on Clark’s unprecedented buzz. Instead of aligning media, sponsors, and narrative, they dragged their feet.

The merch rollout? A joke.
The TV scheduling? Random and baffling.
The messaging? Nonexistent.

“It’s like handing a Tesla to someone who’s only ever driven a lawnmower,” Brennan told one interviewer. “They didn’t know what to do with her.”

Meanwhile, YouTubers, TikTokers, and indie outlets were blowing up online, spreading the Caitlin Clark gospel to new fans by the millions—fans the WNBA should have owned.

On-Court Targeting: The Ugly Truth

Brennan doesn’t mince words. Clark became the face of a league that refused to protect her. Refs swallowed whistles as she was fouled again and again. Veteran players went out of their way to “welcome” her to the league physically—and not in a friendly way.

Instead of leading, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was either asleep at the wheel or willfully blind. Brennan stops short of calling for her resignation—but the implication is crystal clear: this leadership failed.

Division in the Ranks

And it wasn’t just players. Brennan uncovers deep divides between generations. Some younger players were thrilled about Clark. They knew she meant higher salaries, better arenas, more endorsements.

But the old guard? They were too busy guarding their turf.

“It’s like they forgot what winning looks like,” Brennan writes. “And instead of embracing it, they tried to shut it out.”

The Rise of the Villains

In Brennan’s telling, Clark has unwittingly become a lightning rod—a hero to new fans and a villain to bitter insiders. Players like Diana Taurasi and coaches like Cheryl Reeve come off looking like mean girls in a high school hallway. Brennan even calls out “falsehoods” and “petty sabotage” by respected veterans.

Rather than challenge her with their play, some tried to erase her with politics and backdoor quotes.

A Self-Inflicted Crisis

Christine Brennan’s book is more than a criticism—it’s a warning. The WNBA is in real danger of squandering its best shot at global relevance. Caitlin Clark is a once-in-a-generation star. And instead of being lifted, she’s been isolated, battered, and used as a scapegoat.

The numbers don’t lie:

TV ratings have spiked 200% in Clark games

Jersey sales are through the roof

Teams she visits sell out weeks in advance

And yet, the league seems torn between wanting the success and resenting the woman who brought it.

Final Verdict: Brennan’s Book Is a Bombshell—and a Blueprint

If Christine Brennan’s book does one thing, it’s this: it dares to say what everyone else is afraid to. The WNBA didn’t just mishandle Caitlin Clark—they may have permanently damaged their shot at legitimacy.

This isn’t about Clark being perfect. It’s about a league refusing to accept its own miracle.

And unless something changes fast—unless leadership wakes up, players grow up, and the league leans into the future instead of clinging to the past—this will be remembered as the moment the WNBA had it all… and threw it away.