In 2024, Caitlin Clark’s leap from a record-shattering college career to the WNBA triggered a seismic shift. The attention she drew rivaled the early impact of LeBron James, whose 2003 NBA debut came with similar fanfare.
Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, held in April. Her rookie season began that same year.
James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Caitlin Clark vs Lebron James, who got more aura during 1st season of Basketball
Caitlin Clark’s influence began before the regular season. A preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Brazil’s national team, held at her college home court, drew an average of 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.6 million on ESPN.
In fact, according to ESPN’s Flora Kelly, only two of ESPN’s 57 NBA preseason broadcasts since 2010 drew more viewers – and both featured LeBron, deep into his legendary career.
Lebron & Clark
— Flora Kelly (@ESPNFlora) May 6, 2025
The Brazil/Fever game came in at 1.3M – wonderful for a preseason game
Only 2 of ESPN's 57 NBA preseason games since 2010 drew a higher audience & both featured Lebron
2017 Cavs/Bull- the year the Cavs lost the Finals
2018 Warriors/Lakers- after Lebron went to LA
The trend carried into the WNBA season. Games aired on ABC and ESPN averaged 1.32 million viewers – nearly triple the previous year’s numbers. Clark’s debut drew over 2.1 million viewers, the most ever for a WNBA game on ESPN. By season’s end, 22 games had crossed the one-million mark, a feat not seen since 2008. Of those, 20 featured the Fever.
League-wide, numbers jumped 156%. For the Fever, the increase hit 264%. They sold out every season ticket. The “Clark effect” was real and immediate.
LeBron James entered a struggling NBA. The 2003 Finals marked a low: labeled “unwatchable,” it posted the lowest ratings for a Finals game since 1984, according to Forbes. Though James carried immense hype out of high school and was instantly hailed as the NBA’s future, the sources offer no specific rookie-year viewership data for direct comparison. What they do show is that James eventually lifted the league, helping drive long-term gains in ratings, revenue, and relevance.
More Dominant Rookie: Lebron or Caitlin
byu/Shoddy_Ad7511 inNBATalk
Still, when analysts point to Caitlin Clark’s 2024 preseason numbers and compare them to King James’s later-career metrics, it says something.
READ: Three Eras. One Photo. Endless Greatness
I am a writer passionate about telling the stories behind the game of basketball. From the culture and personalities shaping the sport to the moments that define it, I explore basketball beyond the box score.
