Nick Wright declares Caitlin Clark the world's most famous hooper under 35, sparking debate with comparisons to global stars like Wembanyama.
The conversation around Caitlin Clark has officially moved beyond basketball.
During a recent episode of What’s Wright?, sports analyst Nick Wright made a bold claim, declaring that Clark is the most famous basketball player in the world under 35.
According to Wright, the only players who eclipse her in overall fame are veterans such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, all of whom are well past that age threshold.
“The single most famous basketball player under the age of 35 years old is Caitlin Clark,” he said. “The three most famous basketball players right now are 41-year-old LeBron James and then 37-year-old Steph [Curry] and KD [Kevin Durant].”
Since entering the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, Clark has transformed the league’s visibility. Games have been moved to larger arenas, television ratings have surged, and road crowds routinely sell out. Her presence has created a measurable economic impact, something rarely seen from a rookie in professional basketball.
Still, the debate over “fame” is something not everyone agrees on.
Former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague pushed back on Wright’s assertion during an episode of the Club 520 Podcast. While acknowledging Clark’s massive popularity in the United States, Teague argued that global recognition is a different standard entirely.
“Caitlin Clark is big in the States,” Teague said. “Wemby’s big everywhere.”
Teague pointed specifically to Victor Wembanyama, whose international following stretches across Europe and beyond. As the face of the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama entered the league with global hype and continues to build worldwide brand equity.
Teague also questioned whether Clark surpasses established NBA stars such as Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. Additionally, NBA players benefit from a league with decades of global infrastructure, broader international distribution, and greater physical visibility. As Teague noted, a 6-foot-8 superstar is hard to miss in public.
But Clark’s fame, meanwhile, operates differently. She commands cultural attention. Her highlights dominate social feeds. Her name trends nationally. Yet as Teague admitted in recounting a personal story, fame can feel less obvious in person than it does online or on television.
What makes this debate compelling is Clark’s reach that goes beyond just the WNBA. She has elevated women’s basketball into mainstream sports discourse in ways few anticipated. But players like Wembanyama, Tatum, Luka Dončić, and Anthony Edwards continue to build global brands through playoff runs, MVP campaigns, and international marketing.
As the 2026 WNBA season approaches, Clark’s next chapter could redefine this conversation entirely.