As unique as the “Michael Jordan and LeBron James” of women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have impacted the WNBA in their own ways. The two central athletes have significantly supported the league towards a cultural change. While Clark introduced attention and eyes to the professional world, Bueckers turned attention from one-player-centric stance to recognition of teams and individual athletes. As the two stride further in the league, their influence is loud and commanding. Both on and off the court.
Caitlin Clark dived head-first into the league as a dominating figure on the hardwood. And her multiple off-court appearances attributed to the league in unthinkable ways. The reigning rookie made her first-ever appearance as a surprise guest on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in April 2024. The episode garnered attention for Clark’s witty comebacks to jokes on women’s sports. Remember her “kicked down the door so I could walk inside” statement? This spine-chilling tribute to trailblazers Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Dawn Staley, and Maya Moore marked the episode’s success. Her popularity also sparked a 500% surge in Indiana Fever jersey sales and contributed to a 26.5% share of the WNBA’s total economic activity. “The Caitlin Clark Effect,” as it’s come to be known, has already generated over $36 million while propelling attendance and viewership to record highs.
This was just one of the many instances. Since then, Clark has forayed into the world of entertainment a couple of times. She donned the hat of an executive producer for the ESPN+ docu-series, Full Court Press, which released May 11, 2024. Well, the superstar also starred in an episode of David Letterman’s Netflix interview series titled My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. While she utilized these opportunities to expand her media presence and highlight the league, one athlete decided to follow suit. Yes, the 2025 Rookie of the Month, Paige Bueckers, was not far behind.
A user shared a clip featuring Bueckers on X (former Twitter) with a caption that read, “Paige Bueckers cameo on the Naked Gun movie promotion! girliepop is really doing side quests.” The Dallas Wings guard recently forayed into Hollywood with a light-hearted cameo. The nine-second teaser of Naked Gun reboot showcases Bueckers in a playful exchange with Liam Neeson’s character. In a video call, Bueckers can be seen explaining, “I stole the ball right from under her,” when Neeson immediately enters the boardroom with, “Did you say stealing? How do you sleep at night?”
paige bueckers cameo on the naked gun movie promotion girliepop is really doing side quests pic.twitter.com/37fJ0DqZ9I
— erica ★ (@paigeherbo) July 21, 2025
With the film set for an August 01, 2025, release, it featured rookie Bueckers along with other top-tier athletes, including Mookie Betts. This stint not only aims at increasing her visibility beyond basketball, but also indirectly provides attention to the league. Moreover, the cameo ensured spotlight stayed on Bueckers even after her 2025 WNBA All-Star debut. Not all went well during the mid-season event.
Bueckers was one of the 40 representatives who met for CBA Talks ahead of the deal expiration in October 2025. However, the negotiations hit a roadblock when the topic of revenue sharing and salary growth was raised. While WNBA has been criticised on numerous occasions for its losses, the league is doing very little to use the generated revenue for player development. This reflects in players’ salaries when compared with their NBA counterparts.
When pleas to increase the revenue-sharing model to 50% met Commissioner’s counter-proposal, Bueckers joined Clark and others in protest. The athletes turned up in black t-shirts echoing a general sentiment: “Pay us what you owe us.” As simple as that. As of 2025, the WNBA only resorts to a staggering 9–10% revenue sharing with the players, who earn just 1/80th (or 1.25%), while they should ideally be receiving 1/3rd of the revenue. This forces even players like Clark to seek other avenues for generating income instead of solely relying on the league.
Caitlin Clark reacts to Indiana Fever surprise
The third-ranked team in the Eastern Conference standings had a surprise for the locker room and fans. The Indiana Fever launched a Stranger Things-themed jersey. Sharing the latest merch update on X (former Twitter), the official account wrote, “epic. fire. tough. Our Stranger Things jerseys are all of the above and more. Grab yours today: http://FeverTeamStore.com.”
The 22-second clip features the Fever locker room donning the new jerseys. On being asked to share their one-word thought to describe the latest design, Damiris Dantas called it, “It’s muy caliente. Fire.” While Aliyah Boston and Sydney Colson echoed the same thought as Dantas, Fever star Caitlin Clark had a different take altogether.
As her teammates described the jersey “dope,” “epic,” and “cool,” Clark had a unique way of describing the outfit. In the video, Clark looks down, pauses to reflect, before looking confidently at the camera. She lets out the word, “spooky,” to highlight the otherwise black jerseys with a dash of red stains across- a typical design and color combination associated with the web series.
As Indiana Fever navigates through the season without Clark, can the roster manage to rake a win against the Las Vegas Aces? Despite a balanced 12-12 stat score and a 2-game losing streak, Indiana Fever must keep winning. While Clark’s injuries depleted the roster for good, thanks to her right groin injury, the locker room is gradually learning to function without the star.
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