Usually, when an athlete becomes a cultural icon, their fame often stems as much from their personality and off-court aura as from their actual performance. However, Caitlin Clark 's rise to stardom was different from the norm.
Recently, Dave Portney, the founder and owner of Barstool Sports, doubled down on that notion, emphasizing how it wasn't Clark's marketability or charm that drew him in, but her performance and versatility on the court. So much so that Portney had never seen any other women's basketball player move so effortlessly on the hardwood as Clark.
In her first two seasons when she was playing NCAA ball at Iowa, Clark had already made history by leading the nation in both scoring and assists, averaging an extraordinary 26.8 points and 7.5 assists per game combined over those years.
However, because Iowa failed to make deep postseason runs, the broader spotlight hadn't fully captured her greatness.
That all changed in the 2022-23 season, when Clark's game transcended college basketball. She averaged 27.8 points and 8.6 assists per game while leading Iowa to the National Championship game. In that process, for Portney, watching Clark glide on the court, control the tempo and drain buckets from anywhere on the court with calmness was something he had never seen before.
As a result, when Dave recently appeared on an episode of the "Courtside Club" podcast, he admitted how he became Caitlin's fan not because of her off-court charisma but because of her brilliance on the court.
"So, I bet on sports and it was the women's Final Four… and she was just running and gunning, pulling up from the logo. This was when she was on that insane run," Portnoy said with a subtle smile on his face . "I was like, 'Who the hell is that?' I haven't seen anyone play the women's game quite like the way she's playing - the speed with which she's playing, pulling up like that - I just started following her every move."
Perhaps, today, as Caitlin stands as arguably the most popular and impactful player to ever enter the WNBA, her arrival hasn't just elevated the league's visibility; instead, it has completely reshaped its marketability, bringing in unprecedented endorsement deals, record-breaking viewership numbers and a surge of new fans.
However, as Portnoy's admission suggested, what truly sustains that admiration among real basketball fans isn't the media spotlight or the hype surrounding Caitlin; rather, it is her game itself. Her ability to read defenses, make smart decisions and perform under pressure has turned her from a college phenom into the face of women's basketball on the grandest stage.
That is why it is now important for her to achieve greatness with her Indiana Fever team, especially after the team reached the second round of the playoffs without her in the 2025 playoffs, after injuries to her quad, ankle and groin ultimately ended Clark's season.
Her impact on winning has yet to fully shine in the WNBA and that's the next step she needs to make.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
