"Caitlin's lifting everybody" - Cathy Engelbert highlights Caitlin Clark's stardom as key for WNBA's surging popularity

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has made a big statement about Caitlin Clark's impact on the league's surging popularity. Engelbert welcomed the former Iowa Hawkeyes with open arms as the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. Ever since that moment, the league has experienced a rise in popularity.

Even though the league already had big names like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, Clark's arrival has made a notable impact on the competition. The Indiana Fever has played games in packed arenas, tickets to see Clark are getting expensive and TV networks are breaking records.

Engelbert credited Caitlin Clark for these changes, explaining that the league tries to market multiple players, but Clark appears to be on a different level.

"We're obviously marketing around all of our players, but I think Caitlin's lifting everybody. Our arenas are packed, our viewership... I mean, a key part of why I was hired was to look at how to bring in new viewers, new fans. The demographic, we're one of the most diverse, demographic sports on the court and now our viewership," Engelbert said on Hoda & Jenna today.

The attention the young guard has drawn since her college days has translated to the big league. Clark entered the WNBA with huge expectations, and the numbers show that fans are interested in watching her play. For instance, the Fever's most recent duel against the Chicago Sky had tickets listed at $9,131.

The first time she played in Los Angeles, 19,000 fans packed Crypto.com Arena. She was already a phenom in college, and her popularity has maximized now that she's playing against the best hoopers in the world.

Caitlin Clark & other WNBA rookies have made a huge impact on All-Star voting

Something that shows how much attention Caitlin Clark and her fellow rookies have brought to the WNBA was the first return of All-Star voting. Clark ranked second overall, pretty close to two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson.

Angel Reese ranked seventh with over 100,000 votes. A graphic shows that the difference between last year's and this year's first return is massive, and fans are paying much more attention to the WNBA.

Reese has claimed that she's also responsible for the surging popularity of the league, and Shaquille O'Neal feels the same and even credits other players for this. Still, there's no doubt that Caitlin Clark has become a household in the league.