Caitlin Clark effect: ESPN executive calls star 'gateway drug' to women's sports

Sports media figures have called Caitlin Clark many things. A phenom. A generational talent. Ratings gold. They even managed to call her, Payton Pritchard. Thanks, Reggie Miller. But, Clark’s probably never been called a “gateway drug.”

One ESPN executive did just that at a live event for Front Office Sports. But maybe not for the reason you think.

Or it may be for exactly the reason you think — the Caitlin Clark effect. And, it’s lasting legacy on women’s sports.

ESPN Vice President of Women’s Sports Progamming and espnW Susie Piotrowski unfurled the oddly apropos metaphor for Clark’s contributions to the rise of women’s basketball last week in Nashville.

“I say this in quite literally the most positive way possible: Caitlin’s a gateway drug for some people to women’s sports,” she said. “If that brought you in, I’m going to keep you here.”

And, Piotrowski noted ESPN did keep it’s audience tuned into the WNBA, despite Clark missing a large portion of the 2025 season. Even with the Fever star only participating in 13 of 44 regular season games and being shut down in mid-July, the WNBA saw its most-watched regular season and most-watched playoffs, per the ESPN executive.

Using the Caitlin Clark effect effectively

Still, she knows Clark helped pave the way for that viewership increase.

“I think every single one of us can say what Caitlin has done for our business is incomparable,” Piotorkowski stated. “However, people are coming because the product is excellent. And they are not leaving.”

But, whether it’s business partners or casual fans; she’s not looking to scold people who are Clark-obssessed. Instead, she wants to make them women’s sports-obsssessed by way of Clark.

“And I’m not going to make you feel silly if you don’t get it, or you still think, ‘Oh, so is that rating because of the Caitlin Clark effect?’” she noted. “Well, she’s been out of college basketball for a long time. I’m going to tell you why it is more than that. And that’s okay if you’ve come by way of her, now I’m going to tell you why it’s necessary for you to stay here.”

Clark herself would probably endorse this plan of action. She’s become quite the ambassordor for women’s sports herself. From announcing a signature shoe with Nike to showing up on NBA on NBC (to get called Payton Pritchard to her face), one thing is clear:

Apparently, Caitlin Clark’s one helluva drug.