Caitlin Clark is the biggest name and face in the WNBA right now, but you wouldn’t know that from a recent WNBA advertising graphic.
Sunday featured a few high-profile games and matchups between some of the league’s most high-profile players with A’Ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces taking on Angel Reese in the Atlanta Dream on Sunday afternoon followed by Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on the Seattle Storm on Sunday evening.
Perplexingly, though, the league chose not to include Clark in a graphic advertising the league’s Sunday games.
Clark Left Out
On Sunday, the WNBA published a graphic to its X account promoting the two games that would be broadcast on national television on Sunday.
“Do not disturb, the W is on today,” the post read. “The [Las Vegas Aces] visit the [Atlanta Dream] for a must-watch matchup at 1:30pm/ET on NBC and Peacock. Then, the [Seattle Storm] face-off against the [Indiana Fever] at 6pm/ET on NBCSN and Peacock.”
Do not disturb, the W is on today 😏
The @LVAces visit the @AtlantaDream for a must-watch matchup at 1:30pm/ET on NBC and Peacock.
Then, the @seattlestorm face-off against the @IndianaFever at 6pm/ET on NBCSN and Peacock. pic.twitter.com/mMDfp34EUU
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 17, 2026
The graphic included photos of Reese and Wilson to promote the showdown between the Aces and the Dream, but when it came to the evening game, Clark was not included in the league’s advertising.
Instead of Clark, who is undeniably the most high-profile player in the league, the graphic included a photo of Fever guard Raven Johnson, a bench player who averages just 1.3 points per game, playing an average of 7 minutes per contest.
‘Worst Marketing in Sports’
Fans were quick to express their frustration at the league excluding her on the graphic, calling out the WNBA for what some fans called “the worst marketing in sports.”
“At this point…I think the WNBA excludes Caitlin Clark for attention. They know Caitlin Clark fans will complain…which puts the WNBA in the spotlight. Either that…or the WNBA has the worst marketing in sports. 99.9% of the country couldnt name all 4 players on this promo,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“Never seen a league openly hate their most marketable player more than the W,” someone else wrote.
“Putting Raven Johnson (who has scored 4 points through 3 games) on the thumbnail over Caitlin Clark is a fireable offense,” another fan added.
“They’re going to kill the golden goose and fade back into obscurity,” someone else said.
Even Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy chimed in, blasting the league for excluding the face of the league in the promotion.
Clearly, the graphic ruffled some feathers with fans. But all Clark can control is her performance on the court.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.