Ben Shapiro backs Caitlin Clark, ridicules team's $1 billion worth owner for "ripping" Fever star

Caitlin Clark has been called many things lately, including undeserving. Even as the Indiana Fever guard has been the recipient of criticism amid her monumental feats, a political commentator has staunchly backed her up.

In response to Washington Mystics' $1 billion-worth co-owner Sheila Johnson (as per Forbes) saying that the entire WNBA (and not just Clark) should have been recognized by TIME magazine, The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro had this to say:

"You're not putting the entire WNBA on the cover because not everybody can fit. And nobody knows who any of these people are," said Shapiro.

Shapiro then pointed out how Clark has actually had an impact on Johnson's Mystics, a team valued at $80 million according to Sportico.

"By the way, 31% apparently of the entire Washington Mystics' ticket sales this year came in two games. I will give you a guess as to which player was featured in those two games."

Shapiro is referring to two regular season games between the Mystics and the Fever, which drew some of the largest crowds in WNBA history. On June 8, a total of 20,333 spectators watched Clark drop 30 points and hit clutch free throws to secure an 85-83 Fever victory.

Then, on Sept. 19, the Capitol One Arena was once again packed to the rafters — 20,711 in attendance to see the Mystics stave off the Fever 92-91. Given the attendance numbers that the WNBA officially declared on its website, Shapiro's claim about the Mystics' ticket sales is indeed plausible.

Report: Caitlin Clark has Indiana Pacers executives looking up to the Indiana Fever front office

While Johnson attempted to downplay Caitlin Clark's impact, another report claims that she's the reason why Indiana Pacers executives want to catch up with their WNBA counterparts.

According to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal (SBJ), the Pacers front office fully recognizes what the Fever have accomplished in the past year:

"The Indiana Fever are now a global brand that Indiana Pacers executives say they can only hope to someday replicate," wrote Friend. "She has unlocked the power of women's athletics with a following that has drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan in his Chicago Bulls heyday."

It is for this very reason that SBJ named Caitlin Clark their 2024 Best Sports Business Athlete. As Clark enters her sophomore season, more accolades — not to mention more criticism, deserved or undeserved — are sure to come her way.