Longtime sportscaster Dan Patrick said the WNBA has turned on Caitlin Clark amid contentious collective bargaining agreement negotiations. 

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier revealed that, in a private conversation she had with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, that Engelbert said Clark should be thankful that the league gave her the platform to make $16 million off the court.

Patrick’s comments came during a discussion about the WNBA’s record-breaking 2025 season, which saw massive jumps in TV ratings, merchandise sales, and attendance — all numbers largely attributed to the “Caitlin Clark effect.”

Since her arrival as the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Indiana Fever, Clark has not only transformed the franchise’s visibility but also boosted national interest in the women’s game to unprecedented levels.

But according to Patrick, the league hasn’t yet learned how to properly handle or support its new megastar.

“The truth is, Caitlin Clark is carrying the WNBA on her back right now,” Patrick said bluntly.

“She’s filling arenas, she’s driving ratings, she’s selling jerseys, she’s introducing new fans to the league — and instead of celebrating that, there are times when it feels like the league is treating her as a problem to manage rather than a player to promote.

The WNBA needs her a lot more than she needs them. If she walked away tomorrow, their numbers would fall off a cliff.”

Patrick’s take struck a chord — and a nerve. Within minutes, clips of his comments went viral on X (formerly Twitter), with hashtags like #DanPatrickTruthBomb and #CaitlinClarkEffect trending nationwide.

Fans and pundits flooded the conversation, some applauding Patrick for saying what many had felt for months, while others accused him of oversimplifying the issue and disrespecting the league’s broader talent pool.

Patrick said the WNBA needs Caitlin Clark more than she needs the WNBA.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks onto the floor before a game against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sept. 2, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)

“Are they going to make $300,000? Maybe someday, but Caitlin Clark shouldn’t make $78,000 a year and then be thankful that she gets to make $16 million off the court. The WNBA needs Caitlin Clark; Caitlin Clark does not need the WNBA,” Patrick said during a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.”

He went further, suggesting that Clark’s impact could extend beyond basketball entirely. “She’s not just an athlete — she’s a cultural movement,” Patrick said.

“She’s bringing fathers and daughters into the stands together. She’s getting casual sports fans to watch women’s basketball for the first time. That’s transformative. You can’t buy that kind of momentum — you have to nurture it.”

Patrick’s words echoed sentiments that have been building within the fanbase all season long. The WNBA’s unprecedented spike in visibility — from record-breaking viewership to viral highlights — has largely coincided with Clark’s rise.

According to Nielsen data, national broadcasts featuring the Indiana Fever averaged nearly double the ratings of non-Clark games, while Fever road matchups sold out in more than 12 markets. Clark’s jersey remains the top seller in league history, surpassing even A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu’s records within weeks of her debut.

Still, Patrick’s critics argue that reducing the league’s success to a single player risks undermining the collaborative progress made by dozens of athletes, coaches, and executives who’ve fought for visibility long before Clark arrived.

Former WNBA champion Candace Parker weighed in during a TNT appearance, saying, “We can celebrate what Caitlin’s doing without diminishing everyone else. The WNBA’s growth is a team effort — from players to fans to leadership.”

“It feels like the WNBA turned on Caitlin Clark. Now they’re turning to Caitlin Clark to say, ‘Hey, you know what, we need her. Hey, this private conversation I had with the commissioner, the commissioner said Caitlin should be thankful. Everybody should get down on their knees because the amount of money.’”

Patrick said the negotiations between the WNBA and the players are getting “dirty.”

The 69-year-old said he was a “little surprised” Engelbert brought up Clark in her conversation with Collier, because Clark and Collier share the same agent.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark signs autographs before Game 3 of a WNBA basketball semifinal playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces in Indianapolis, on Sept. 26, 2025. (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

Engelbert denied making the comments about Clark in a press conference last week.

“Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game,” Engelbert said.

“Every great league has had a face — Jordan for the NBA, Brady for the NFL, Serena for tennis,” he explained. “Caitlin Clark is that for the WNBA right now, whether people like it or not. The league has to stop fighting that and start using it.”

As the debate raged online, WNBA fans and insiders speculated about whether Patrick’s comments might prompt a public response from Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who’s faced growing criticism over her handling of Clark-related controversies.

Thus far, the league has stayed silent, but sources suggest the commissioner’s office is aware of the clip’s virality and the mounting perception that leadership is “out of sync” with the league’s most valuable asset.

For Clark, the media storm is nothing new. Throughout her rookie season, she’s handled the spotlight with humility, often deflecting credit and emphasizing team success.

When asked earlier this year about her impact on the league, she responded simply: “I’m just trying to play good basketball and represent women’s sports the right way.”

Patrick called Engelbert a bright woman and pointed out some of the positive things she has done.

“This commissioner has done some positive things. They have five new expansion teams coming up, they got a TV deal, so there’s some positives there,” Patrick said.

The pressure on Engelbert has mounted as the negotiations have grown more contentious.

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, right, holds the Lombardi Trophy with commentator Dan Patrick, left, after the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Feb. 4, 2018. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

The players’ association and the WNBA agreed to an eight-year deal in 2020, but last year the WNBPA voted to opt out of the agreement early.

Sports broadcasting legend Dan Patrick has ignited a firestorm across the basketball world with his bold new take on the state of the WNBA — declaring that Caitlin Clark is doing more for the league than the league is doing for her. On a recent episode of The Dan Patrick Show, the veteran host didn’t hold back, claiming that the WNBA “needs Caitlin Clark more than she needs them,” a statement that immediately set social media ablaze and reignited debate over the balance between player influence and institutional support in women’s basketball.

“Dan Patrick said the quiet part out loud,” wrote one fan. “Caitlin Clark has been the biggest thing to happen to women’s basketball in decades, and the WNBA is still acting like she’s just another player.”

Another added, “He’s not wrong. Look at attendance — Fever games sell out everywhere she goes. People who never watched the WNBA before are tuning in for her. That’s star power.”

But not everyone agreed with Patrick’s framing. Former WNBA players and current analysts pushed back, arguing that while Clark has undeniably expanded the league’s audience, it’s unfair to say she’s carrying it alone.

“Caitlin’s incredible, but let’s not erase the groundwork laid by players like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Sue Bird,” said ESPN’s Monica McNutt. “She’s standing on the shoulders of giants — this growth didn’t start overnight.”

Still, Patrick’s larger point — that the league’s leadership has struggled to fully embrace Clark’s massive popularity — resonated with many fans.

His comments followed months of heated discussions about the way Clark has been treated by both opponents and the media. She’s been the target of unusually physical defense, online criticism, and at times, tepid public support from WNBA officials.

Patrick directly addressed that dynamic, calling it a “missed opportunity.” “This league should be rolling out the red carpet for her,” he said. “Instead, they’re walking on eggshells, afraid that promoting her too much might upset other players or disrupt the locker room politics.

That’s not how you build a brand. Look at the NBA — when LeBron came in, they built the league around him. When Steph Curry exploded, they leaned into his story. The WNBA should be doing the same with Caitlin.”

Yet even Parker acknowledged that Patrick’s remarks touched on a larger truth about the league’s growing pains. “He’s right about one thing,” she added.

“The WNBA has to figure out how to handle superstardom on this scale. Caitlin’s influence is real — and if they get it right, it could change the future of women’s sports forever.”

The conversation reflects a broader cultural divide within sports media. Some see Clark as a lightning rod for overdue mainstream attention, while others worry that the narrative has become too Clark-centric, overshadowing other deserving players.

Patrick, however, made it clear that his argument wasn’t about minimizing anyone — it was about strategy.

Whether she comments on Patrick’s take remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the conversation he sparked isn’t going away anytime soon. In an era when women’s sports are finally breaking through mainstream barriers, Caitlin Clark has become both a symbol of progress and a lightning rod for debate about how that progress should be managed.

As one fan summarized on social media, “Dan Patrick said what everyone’s thinking — Caitlin Clark is the engine right now. The WNBA can either embrace it or risk stalling out.”

And while opinions differ on the nuances of Patrick’s take, there’s one undeniable truth that both sides seem to agree on — Caitlin Clark has changed the game, perhaps more profoundly than anyone in the WNBA’s history. The only question left is whether the league will fully realize it — before she decides she doesn’t need to wait.

The current agreement is due to expire Oct. 31.

Patrick worked for ESPN from 1989–2006, and then NBC Sports in 2008 and stayed there until 2018. He now hosts “The Dan Patrick Show.” Patrick’s full interview with Dakich will air on OutKick on Friday.