Caitlin Clark joining NBC Sports as special contributor on "Basketball Night in America"
This is the first formal TV gig for the Indiana Fever guard. Clark will appear on NBC's "Basketball Night in America," debuting Feb. 1 at Madison Garden for Lakers-Knicks.
Caitlin Clark has accepted an opportunity on television for the first time.
The Indiana Fever guard is joining NBC Sports as a special contributor for multiple on-air assignments during the remainder of the NBA season, the network announced.
Clark will make her debut on “Basketball Night in America” on Feb. 1 as NBC shifts its focus to basketball on the first Sunday without “Sunday Night Football.” The network will air a doubleheader featuring the Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets.
The studio show will originate from Madison Square Garden. Clark will join host Maria Taylor alongside former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.
“I’m really excited to be part of the ‘Basketball Night in America’ crew this season,” Clark, who just turned 24 this week, said in a statement. “Carmelo, Vince, and Tracy are legends of the game and Maria is a true professional. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season.”
Clark’s second appearance will come Sunday, March 29, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City — home of the 2025 NBA champions — when the Thunder host the Knicks in primetime on “Sunday Night Basketball.”
Why the delay between appearances?
NBC has a loaded slate upcoming — airing Super Bowl LX from Santa Clara, Calif. on Feb. 8 and then going right into the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
In its first season with NBA game rights again, NBC had lead play-by-play man Mike Tirico sit down with Hall of Famer Michael Jordan for an extended conversation, with segments airing throughout the early part of the season. Adding Clark is another significant move and one that will bring eyeballs from across the world.
She is The Needle — and this is NBC recognizing that.
“Caitlin is one of the most captivating players and dynamic scorers in basketball,” added Sam Flood, Executive Producer for NBC Sports.
Clark also appeared on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” two days before the 2024 WNBA Draft, when the Indiana Fever selected her No. 1 overall. (ESPN’s telecast drew 2.5 million viewers, an increase from the 572,000 from one year earlier, despite everyone knowing who would be taken first.)
Clark will be fantastic. After years of national attention and hundreds of interviews, she brings both credibility and comfort to the role. Her understanding of the game — and her ability to communicate it — should easily translate to the studio show.
The primary challenge will be going on air from a remote show, which is an unfamiliar environment, rather than a traditional broadcast studio. But fans watching her on stage is nothing new.
She’s in the spotlight wherever she goes.
In fact, Clark thrives as a performance and entertainer. She understands it’s more than basketball; she’s putting on the show.
And in this case, Clark’s job will be straightforward: answer questions from Taylor, share her observations, and engage in fun conversations with the three basketball Hall of Famers alongside her.
“This will be highly entertaining and insightful! CC is a natural!” tweeted Fever GM Amber Cox.
Clark isn’t the only Fever player now part of NBC. Teammate Aliyah Boston has served as a studio analyst for several seasons during the women’s college basketball season. Fever head coach, Stephanie White, has been a game analyst for more than a decade — and is currently an NBA analyst for games on ESPN/ABC.
Adding Clark will give NBC a boost as they experience The Caitlin Clark Effect.
Clark last spoke with reporters in mid-December as she participated in USA Basketball training camp, held at Duke University with head coach Kara Lawson.
Watch the entire interview below.