FIBA Chief Says Caitlin Clark Could Lift Women's Stars Past Men by 2028 Olympics

Q: How did a one-point semifinal performance by Caitlin Clark still manage to dominate global basketball conversations?

Caitlin Clark dominated the conversation because her impact at this World Cup has been much bigger than one box score line. Even in the semifinal against Spain, when she scored only one point in 17 minutes and went 0-for-3 from the field, she still posted a +16 plus-minus, one of the best marks on Team USA. That fed the argument that she was still helping winning lineups through spacing, pace, and playmaking gravity, even without scoring. Her role also became a talking point because coach Kara Lawson kept her in a bench role despite Clark leading Team USA in minutes for much of the tournament and ranking among the event’s top assist leaders. The larger reason is star power. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis called Clark one of the biggest stars of her generation and said players like her are lifting the global visibility of women’s basketball. FIBA’s own traffic data placed Clark among the most-viewed player pages at the tournament, and organizers have openly tied the event’s commercial momentum to stars such as Clark, Paige Bueckers, and others. So the semifinal became less about the one point itself and more about what Clark represents: a player whose presence drives debate over coaching decisions, lineup usage, ratings, sponsorship, and the future audience for women’s basketball. In that sense, the global conversation was about influence, not just scoring.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 13

Andreas Zagklis said Caitlin Clark and other first-time young World Cup players have sharply boosted the tournament's visibility, calling Clark one of her generation's biggest stars before the U.S.-France final.
2028 Los Angeles is his next benchmark: the FIBA secretary general said women's basketball players could match or even surpass many male players in popularity as the sport's global growth accelerates.
Clark's impact has come despite a bench role in all 5 U.S. wins, with coach Kara Lawson sticking with veteran starters while still giving the 24-year-old guard more than 20 minutes a game.
5.8 assists per game ranks Clark third at the World Cup, and her opening performance against China — 14 points and a record 11 assists without a turnover — helped make her one of the tournament's central storylines.

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Fox News2h ago

FIBA Secretary General Zagklis on Caitlin Clark's Impact, Women's Basketball Growth

YouTube2h ago

Angel Reese CAN'T BELIEVE It! Caitlin Clark Gets Michael Jordan Treatment From FIBA! - YouTube

How did a one-point semifinal performance by Caitlin Clark still manage to dominate global basketball conversations?

Why is the biggest star of her generation coming off the bench in the World Cup final?

Could a strategic calendar shift and a bench player truly make women's Olympic basketball outshine the men's?

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2 total

Fox News2h ago

FIBA Secretary General Zagklis on Caitlin Clark's Impact, Women's Basketball Growth

YouTube2h ago

Angel Reese CAN'T BELIEVE It! Caitlin Clark Gets Michael Jordan Treatment From FIBA! - YouTube

FIBA Chief Says Caitlin Clark Could Lift Women's Stars Past Men by 2028 Olympics

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