Calls Mount Against ESPN Analyst Elle Duncan as She Is Upset With Caitlin Clark Being WNBA’s Center of Gravity

Last year if your team didn’t make the playoffs, this must have felt like forever since you saw your faves hooping, right? Well, we’re almost here. The 2025 WNBA tip-off is on May 16, and this season is shaping up to be something special. After the madness that was 2024, this year might just take the crown. The biggest headline is Caitlin Clark, obviously. The MVP buzz, a stacked Indiana Fever squad, and the possibility of a title run? Say less.

And could it not be? The golden goose of the WNBA has pulled a crowd like nobody else. The explosion in social media numbers, the jam-packed arenas, the TV ratings. You’d be right to bet that more than half of the new fans are riding the Clark wave.

Whether it’s her logo threes, slick passes, or just the buzz she brings, she’s got people watching who never even thought about W hoops before. But guess what? Not everyone’s throwing confetti. ESPN analyst Elle Duncan had some very strong words about all these new fans. “The worst part of all this is the new fans are sucking the life out of the WNBA right now. It’s just the truth,” she said.

Duncan added, “You’re right…there has never been more viewership because of Caitlin Clark. There’s never been more attention. You’re right. But you know what there was in the WNBA last year and the years prior? There were other storylines. There was joy. There was talk of competition. There was talk of what was actually happening on the court.”

Elle Duncan – Let’s not look at last years record breaking numbers, we expected fans to drop off.

Also @elleduncanESPN https://t.co/jDzpotOT7k pic.twitter.com/5iqBetWRDx

— Ken Swift (@kenswift) April 19, 2025

Now look, Duncan’s not totally off base. Sure, she’s calling for more balance in how the league’s covered. But to say it’s sucking the life out? That’s a hot take if we’ve ever seen one. Because without Clark’s star power, this level of growth probably would not happen.  The W saw a 48%jump in regular-season attendance last year. That’s 2.3 million fans showing up. Fever games broke the charts—340,715 fans at home games alone, smashing the Liberty’s 2001 record. The fanbase is now younger, more diverse, more engaged than ever before.

But even with all this good news, some veterans were clearly under a microscope last season. Remember how there were claims that veterans are expected to roll out the red carpet for Clark every game?  Duncan did speak to that too, saying, “I think she is getting the appropriate amount of coverage, and it’s deserved.” She also agreed that athletes must respect CC because she is earning that. However, she found the idea of them ‘worshipping’ the Fever star ‘weird.’ 

The analyst did face criticism for her comments at that time, too, as some felt her remarks were dismissive of Clark’s impact on the league. Now, social media is back at it, and Duncan’s getting dragged once again.

Elle Duncan’s comment got Caitlin Clark fans fired up

It all started with a video shared by Clark’s famous faithful Ken Swift. A clip of Elle Duncan comments turned into a full-blown comment section chaos. One fan didn’t hold back: “If only CC was promoted well and not diminished by ESPN and other clowns, the viewership would be a lot higher.” 

This ESPN vs Clark thing has been brewing online for a while, especially with Duncan right in the middle of it. After ESPN dropped the 2025 Draft viewership record, they threw up a graphic comparing numbers from 2025 to 2023. Not 2024. Naturally, fans were confused. 

Like… why skip the biggest year? Duncan tried clearing the air, saying, “So we all know last year was pretty anomalous with CC being who she is.” She added that ESPN knew last year wouldn’t be the same, but the league’s been on a steady rise, so they chose a baseline that better shows real growth. But that move still didn’t sit well with folks. 

One said, “I love that clip since she would put Caitlin’s name in every title and face in every thumbnail. Like she had the option to highlight other storylines.” Fans were quick to call out the hypocrisy. After all, Duncan herself has leaned on Clark content—her Elle Duncan Show features titles like “Should the WNBA be Thanking Caitlin Clark” and “Is the WNBA too hard on Caitlin Clark?” 

These episodes pulled solid views, all while focusing on CC. Another chimed in with a hot take, “There was no life in the WNBA before last season. It was on life support, with money from the NBA because no one watched or attended.” Numbers back the W’s rise. The WNBA’s revenue has seen a significant uptick. Just to put this into perspective, it rose from $60 million in 2022.

In 2024 alone, the league locked in a massive $2.2 billion media rights deal across 11 years. That’s $200 million a year. And yes, Caitlin Clark played a huge part in that momentum. Her impact wasn’t just on court. According to Dr. Ryan Brewer, her presence added nearly $36 million to Indy’s economy. 

Another fan said, “Why such anger? New fans are great so they like Clark a lot, so what?” Fans feel there’s nothing wrong with the new fans wave but Elle’s not the only one skeptical of this. Brittney Griner herself said last year, “I don’t appreciate the new fans that sit there and yell racial slurs at myself, my teammates and the people that I play against. Because, yeah, those might be opponents, but those are friends, too.” 

Sep 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket defended by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

It’s the dark side of fame no one really talks about enough that with popularity, this new attention, as many believe, brought racism, too. Then came another tough take, “Just like the players that are coming in are different and playing a more exciting game, they need to revamp these media personalities. I can’t listen to any of them with their gaslighting and ‘erasing’ of players that don’t fit their narrative. So unprofessional.” 

Fans clearly felt like Elle’s comments weren’t neutral. Even though she did say, “Clark is like something that we have never seen before,” people aren’t buying it anymore. The trust is wearing thin, especially when it comes from voices in the media who they believe are supposed to hype Clark up but now seem to be flipping the script. 

While these debates will forever continue and even get louder as the season begins, the conversation proves that the W is at the center and we can’t wait to see how the new season unfolds. 

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