Rusty Weiss
Former NFL running back LeSean McCoy made waves by proclaiming WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark as the most influential female athlete of all time, even surpassing tennis legend Serena Williams.
McCoy, co-hosting alongside Emmanuel Acho, argued that Clark’s rapid transformation of women’s basketball has elevated the sport to unprecedented heights, drawing comparisons to major leagues like the NBA and NFL.
Needless to say, those comments sparked a lot of debate. Despite Clark’s success, the WNBA is not currently being compared to any major sports league. Not by any sane person, anyway.
“She’s like top three, might be two,” Shady contends. “No, she is one. She’s the most influential women’s athlete of all time.”
Pump the brakes, my man. She might be the most influential female athlete today, but of all-time? She’s barely been in the league for one season, having missed most of her sophomore campaign. Clark hasn’t made that much of a difference quite yet.
Now, the conversation does quantify that they’re talking about white female athletes.
LeSean McCoy Declares Caitlin Clark the Most Influential Female Athlete of All Time – Sparking Fierce Debate
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, shattered NCAA records during her college career at the University of Iowa—a program not traditionally seen as a powerhouse like LSU or USC.
McCoy emphasized how her rookie season has led to record-breaking TV ratings, surging attendance, and booming merchandise sales, accounting for an estimated 26.5% of the WNBA’s economic activity and generating over $1 billion in value.
“I think Serena Williams was great. But who was watching women’s basketball? You weren’t. I wasn’t,” he explained. “Then we get this girl like Steph Curry, and everybody watches it, to this day.”
“Women’s basketball is looked at like the NBA, like the NFL. They’ve got their own channels now on ESPN. When was the last time you heard people talking about women’s basketball on TV?” McCoy wondered. “Now they’re going to talk about Luka, and they’re going to talk about Caitlin Clark.”
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The bold claim didn’t go unchallenged. Co-hosts pushed back, defending Williams’ storied legacy, which includes 23 Grand Slam singles titles—the most in the Open Era—and over 300 weeks as the world No. 1, significantly boosting women’s tennis on a global scale.
McCoy countered by noting that women’s tennis was already established before Williams’ dominance, whereas Clark has created a “whole new level” of attention for basketball in under a year as a professional.
It’s all true, but again, we’re looking at a very short body of work. And if her career is cut short by injuries, she’ll never achieve the heights of some other great female athletes. Can she? Of course. Will she? That remains to be seen.
And just wait to see what happens if she loses an entire third season due to a looming WNBA strike. Will even the great Caitlin Clark be able to draw fans back after a work stoppage?