Earlier this month, a clip capturing Caitlin Clark’s admiration for Serena Williams went viral. When posed with the question of her dream dinner guest, Clark’s immediate answer was, “Serena Williams.” It didn’t take long for Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, to extend a heartfelt invitation. Responding to the clip on X, Ohanian tagged Clark and wrote, “C’mon now @CaitlinClark22 there’s an open invitation at our home!” And, remarkably, just weeks later…
On March 31st, Ohanian took to his Instagram while sharing a wholesome update: he and his wife Williams were invited to the NFL Annual Meeting in Florida’s Palm Beach for a panel discussion on “THE CHANGING FACE OF SPORTS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE NFL”. It raised eyebrows when Caitlin Clark was seen participating in a session in the company of tennis giant Serena Williams, NFL icon Eli Manning, and Broncos co-owner Mellody Hobson.
In a picture shared by Ohanian, who was rejoiced by Clark finally meeting his wife in person, the basketball sensation was seen sitting alongside the ex-American tennis icon. “Finally met the one and only @caitlinclark22 IRL (impressive young woman off the court as well)!,” he wrote. “Great hosting, Melody, and all star panel from CC, my friend and fellow @NWSL owner @elimanning and ofc the GOAT my wife @serenawilliams — expect some big things from the @NFL in 2025 ”
During the session, NFL EVP of football operations Troy Vincent emphasized on the inclusion of Clark and Williams, explaining that they want to capture the momentum these two have given women’s sports and utilize it for women’s flag football. “We don’t get an opportunity to talk about this enough, just the explosion of women in sports. This is happening across the globe, and we want to continue that conversation among our membership.” Well, Williams’ NFL connection is a decade and a half old.
In 2009, tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams made history by purchasing a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins, becoming the first female African-Americans to own a piece of an NFL team. This deal, with owner Stephen Ross, further solidified the trend of celebrity involvement in NFL ownership, and was particularly notable given the sisters’ proximity to the team’s stadium, residing in Palm Beach Gardens at the time, an hour’s drive from the Dolphins’ stadium.
“To have this opportunity is really where our heart is,” Venus had said. “We’re South Florida girls. When we get off the road, this is where we come home to. When we come home to Dolphins games, it’s going to be exciting.” On the other hand, Clark is an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan; she even attended several games last season.
What is Flag Football? “Flag football is a high priority of ours. It’s an opportunity for young women to participate in our game … and as we look forward, there definitely seems to be an appetite and interest in a professional flag league for both men and women,” said NFL EVP Jeff Miller in response to a Front Office Sports question at a briefing previewing the meeting. “So it’s a continuation of the growth in women’s sports, and the role that the NFL can play in it.”
Later, Ohanian also dropped another picture on X with Clark. The post simply read, “The one and only @CaitlinClark22 !!!” That’s not all. Earlier this month, he also credited her for a newfound popularity in women’s basketball. It appears Caitlin’s presence skyrocketed the viewership for March Madness women’s game. Apparently, the 2024 women’s final NCAA match surpassed the men’s game in terms of eyeballs. While women’s game attracted 18.9 million views, men’s game peaked at 14.8 million.
Ohanian reacted to this stat by reposting his posts from 2022, while mentioning Clark as the driving force. In a post from March 16 he wrote, “She’s a HUGE part of it, but the story was in the data years ago — free market of attention (IG) already delivered a verdict showing women crushed the men on followers”
She’s, in fact, the one and only at the moment. Especially when it comes to breaking and setting new records. And just recently, she also went past none other than Serena Williams in one major category.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark breaks tennis legend Serena Williams’ six-figure record from 2022
During her rookie season itself, Caitlin Clark is demolishing records left, right, and center. Just days ago, she shattered a two-year-old milestone set by former tennis icon Serena Williams.
Until Saturday, Williams held the record for the most valuable trading card in women’s sports. Back in May 2022, her “2003 NetPro International Series Apparel Autograph Serena Williams #2A” sold for $266,400. But now, Indiana Fever’s point guard has demolished this figure. By how much?
Being just two months away from her second season, Caitlin Clark has achieved the title for the most valuable women’s trading card. Her “2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Signed Rookie Card” recently sold for $366,000. With this, Clark broke her own record as well from last December.
Few months back, her “Panini Select WNBA gold vinyl card” had sold for $234,850, as reported by Athlon Sports on March 30.
Fans will witness Clark in action very soon. Her last season’s stats look impressive already with 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. The WNBA Rookie of the Year and her team will begin their new season in May. In the opener, they will be up against Chicago Sky.
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