Nobody has helped women’s sports more than Caitlin Clark since tennis icon Billie Jean King, claims ex-Iowa HC Lisa Bluder
Former Iowa Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder has defended her former player Caitlin Clark from the criticism she has received following her Time Athlete of the Year award. Bluder highlighted how much Clark has done for women's sports, not just basketball, and even compared her to another trailblazer — tennis legend Billie Jean King.
Speaking to USA Today, Bluder went to bat for her former star player in a video published on Sunday.
"It's silly to me that anybody's trying to take away from something that's so good in your sport right now," Bluder said (Timestamp: 2:19). "I mean, this is a person that's really helped athletics, helped women's sports in a way that nobody has helped women's sports maybe since Billie Jean King.
"So, let's get on the bandwagon and help her out, make her life a little bit easier because she is helping all of us. Sometimes, you know, we used to tell our team 'Listen, when Caitlin's light shines on her, it shines on all of us,' and I think everybody else needs to embrace that a little bit better."
Caitlin Clark criticized for Time award
Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson expressed reservations about Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark being named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year. During an interview on CNN in early December, Johnson voiced concerns that the award unfairly highlights one player’s contributions while overlooking the collective efforts that have fueled the WNBA’s growth.
“It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the point where we are now,” Johnson told CNN anchor Amanda Davies. “And this year, something clicked with the WNBA — it’s because of the draft, the players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark. It’s (Angel) Reese, and there’s so much talent that has been unrecognized.
"I don’t think we can pin it on just one player.”
Clark’s recognition came after a historic rookie season that saw her shatter attendance records and boost the league’s popularity. According to an IndyStar analysis, Clark was responsible for one in six WNBA ticket sales in 2024, drawing record crowds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and filling opposing arenas.
Still, Johnson emphasized that the WNBA’s success predates Clark’s arrival, crediting years of effort by other players, particularly Black women like three-time MVP A’ja Wilson, New York Liberty MVP Jonquel Jones and All-Stars DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas.
Economist Ryan Brewer estimated Clark was responsible for 26.5% of the league’s economic activity in her rookie season, but Johnson argued that the league’s growth is a collective achievement, not the result of one player alone.
While Caitlin Clark’s rookie year was undoubtedly transformative, Johnson’s comments highlighted the broader contributions that have driven the WNBA’s ongoing rise.