Caitlin Clark commemorative issue released by Athlon Sports — and I'm a contributor
Fans can't get enough Caitlin Clark content. I helped contribute to a special-edition magazine chronicling the 22-year-old's rookie season in Indy and how she elevated the entire WNBA.
Hi friends. I wanted to make you aware of something that you may be interested in — and that was very fun for me.
Before we turn our full attention to the NBA season, here’s another look back at what was a historic WNBA season.
Athlon Sports produced a 96-page commemorative issue on Caitlin Clark’s rookie season and it hit newsstands on Oct. 18. They reached out to me toward the end of the season and asked me to write not one, but three features for this print.
I appreciated the interest and ultimately accepted. There’s still something very special about seeing your work in print. Online writing, videos, podcasts, print and social media — you have to be able to do it all in today’s media landscape.
I chronicled Clark’s record-breaking season, how she elevated the WNBA to new heights with unfathomable attendance records and TV ratings. I also covered what she produced on the court — playing in every game, playing the second-most minutes, leading the Fever back to the playoffs, being the near unanimous Rookie of the Year and finishing fourth in MVP voting.
Everyone had high expectations for Clark, but there’s no way anyone expected all of this.
Secondly, I wrote about Clark and Angel Reese, how the two are connected back to their AAU days, and then how the rookies squaring off became a storyline out of convenience. The reality is Clark was on another level than any of her peers. So much so that she was voted to the All-WNBA First Team. But like Clark said, if that storyline helps grow the game, so be it.
Thirdly, the WNBA added a lot of fans this year. Just the Fever’s digital presence alone was remarkable.
Many fans know about Clark, their favorite team and some of the Olympic players. It’s also important to provide a full introduction of the league and its history to everyone, a story that I think will be interesting to all who follow the game. I’ve been around the WNBA since 2003 — nearly the beginning.
Just this week, Game 5 of the finals was seen by about 2.2 million viewers, the largest number for the finals in 25 years.
I can’t tell you how cool it was to get one of the first copies via FedEx last week, then to look inside and see my stories. There’s many great photographs and graphics as well.
Here’s a press release about the magazine and what readers can expect.
And it’s for Pacers fans too. Hall of Famer and fellow substacker
also contributed, sharing Rick Carlisle’s thoughts on Clark’s magnificent season.You can buy a copy for 14.99. Click here. Great for reading, sharing, and showing off on your coffee table.
I also plan to share my stories with subscribers here soon.