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The way the media covers the WNBA is certifiably insane.

If I were to ask you the biggest reason for the WNBA’s rise in popularity this season, you would probably say Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (and you’d be right for saying that). The viewership numbers, revenue sales and fan attendance have all been influenced heavily by Clark’s presence.

Heck, even the NFL recognizes her presence at its games.

But CBS couldn’t bring itself to say that.

On Sunday’s episode of “60 Minutes,” Jon Wetheim interviewed Clark and several other WNBA players. Despite admitting that the Fever guard is the main attraction for many WNBA fans, he had the audacity to claim that Clark was not the biggest breakthrough star of the year.

“The real breakthrough star this season is the league itself,” Wetheim said.

I’m sorry, what? 

To say that the league became fairly mainstream would be accurate, but claiming it had a bigger breakthrough than Clark is downright idiotic. No one watches the WNBA to see A’Ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu faceoff, they tune in to see Clark. Her long-range shooting and drama-free personality are what gets people to tune into WNBA games, no one else.

To recap her season, Clark:

  • Became the first rookie to record a triple-double
  • Set a single game and season record for assists (19 and 337, respectively)
  • Most 3-pointers in a season by a rookie (122, which is the second-most ever)
  • Was the AP WNBA Rookie of the Year

And that’s just a small sample size of what she did this year.

Her effect is so noticeable that Minnesota Lynx veteran Napheesa Collier told Wetheim that she noticed numerous fans in the seats for the first time in her five-year career.

“It makes the game so, so fun. It’s like your sixth man at home and then when you’re away you can’t wait to silence the crowd and that’s just the best feeling ever,” Collier said.

Well, here’s a newsflash: if Clark isn’t playing, that probably isn’t happening. But WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert tried to paint the picture as if other rookies and stars are doing as much as Clark for the league.

“No league is ever about what player, people watch for compelling content and rivalries, and you can’t do that alone,” Engelbert said.

Would it kill these people to say that Clark is the main reason for all the fandom and not try to act like everyone else is helping as much as she is?

To be fair, the Angel Reese-Clark rivalry is pretty compelling. But without Clark, Reese isn’t getting as much attention. After all, if Clark weren’t in the league, she’d have no other way to get clicks on her podcast than by calling Clark fans racist.

The bottom line is that the media is intentionally trying to make it seem like other players in the league besides the Fever guard provide a compelling case for fans to watch their product. But we all know the truth: the biggest reason is Clark, and this was a season about her. Not the league, not the other rookies, Clark.

And there’s no two ways about it.