WNBA 2026

[The Sultan]

I don't really understand how poorly the WNBA and Nike have marketed Clark. Seriously, she shold be all over the place as the face of the league, and the face of the Nike brand. But they've done nothing.

[Billy Hoyle]

very well stated, JWags.

What I find most interesting about the biggest Clark haters (at leats on that hellsite, Threads) is that they don't consider A'ja or Phee the best players in their league, or consider Olivia Miles to elite; they've elevated Bueckers to greatest of all-time status.

[MU82]

Superbly stated, Wags. The whole saga is a real clusterf@ck, and a sad commentary on America itself.

[Pakuni]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[Billy Hoyle]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

I was going to mention this too. This was unhinged and the editor in chief should be fired for allowing this to be published. How unhinged was it? Commentators like Emmanuel Acho, who has been a vocal critic of CC, were openly agreeing with Clay Travis, Riley Gaines, and Dave Portnoy.

I said it earlier in this thread - I feel bad for CC. She's being used by the far right because she's white and straight (you know, the people who hate identity politics), and bashed by the left for being white and straight.

BTW, Phee is back and looked like her old self. Nobody is stopping the Lynx if they stay healthy.

And this was Armour's justification. Weasel words to the core:

https://x.com/schadjoe/status/2080343864632541657

[MuggsyB]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The "journalist" is a Marquette grad. 

[The Sultan]

I was going to mention this too. This was unhinged and the editor in chief should be fired for allowing this to be published. How unhinged was it? Commentators like Emmanuel Acho, who has been a vocal critic of CC, were openly agreeing with Clay Travis, Riley Gaines, and Dave Portnoy.

I said it earlier in this thread - I feel bad for CC. She's being used by the far right because she's white and straight (you know, the people who hate identity politics), and bashed by the left for being white and straight.

BTW, Phee is back and looked like her old self. Nobody is stopping the Lynx if they stay healthy.

And this was Armour's justification. Weasel words to the core:

https://x.com/schadjoe/status/2080343864632541657

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

[MuggsyB]

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

Jemele Hill if she's still around?

[The Sultan]

Jemele Hill if she's still around?

Here is what Hill said:

"Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in the WNBA, and the biggest draw. She's not the face because she's not creating a new standard for winning (yet). She does not have accomplishments that people want to take (yet). What team is everyone trying to beat? The Aces. What player is everyone trying to match? A'ja Wilson. The standard for winning is A'ja. Michael Jordan became the face of the NBA because he became the standard by which every player is measured. Everyone wanted to stop him. Caitlin isn't there."


I don't agree with her, but even then she was hardly bashing her. She just doesn't think she's the face of the league (yet).

At no point did she mention, or even infer, anything about her race or her sexuality.

[Billy Hoyle]

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

Wrong choice of word: many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads), just as the right loves her (even if she doesn't love them) because she's white and straight. It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

[Hards Alumni]

Wrong choice of word: many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads), just as the right loves her (even if she doesn't love them) because she's white and straight. It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

Soph has said some transphobic stuff too.  IMO, it comes from a place of ignorance rather than hate.

[Shaka Shart]

Soph has said some transphobic stuff too.  IMO, it comes from a place of ignorance rather than hate.

Signed jerseys going up in mequon dental clinics I hear

[Pakuni]

many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads)

I'm not sure finding a bunch of randos  - probably half of them bots - saying dumb things on social media qualifies as "many" in the sense of a representative sample of any group of people.

It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

Welp.

https://meidasnews.com/news/sofie-cunninghams-maga-tiktok-activity-exposed

FWIW, I don't care what Sophie Cunningham likes/reposts/follows on social media (neither should anyone else), but this isn't going to help her beat the charge.

[pbiflyer]

Anyone notice Marquette alum Natisha Hiedemen is becoming the face of the Seattle team and is having quite the nice career?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMqJDFDSKd/?igsh=MWo2OGVxeXR2cnZtaw==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMvuhzjVPg/?igsh=M3F6cGl1bjZtdzJ2

[MU82]

Anyone notice Marquette alum Natisha Hiedemen is becoming the face of the Seattle team and is having quite the nice career?

I am a Storm partial-season  ticketholder, and I watch most of the rest of the games on TV.

Natisha is having a solid season, and she provides a steady veteran presence for the WNBA's youngest team. A backup most of her career, she has taken advantage of this opportunity to start at PG and play big minutes.

I wouldn't call her the face of the team, though. At 20, Dominique Malonga is already an All-Star center. Rookie Flau'jae Johnson had emerged as the Storm's energy-generator and soul. Another rookie, Awa Fam, has quickly become a fan favorite. Almost all of the team's advertising campaigns focus on those three, who are being counted on to grow up together and carry the franchise.

If I had to name a franchise "face," I'd say Flau'jae. But, as I said, it's more about the young core.