Basketball Coach Makes Stunning Caitlin Clark Comparison To Michael Jordan And Tiger Woods

Caitlin Clark’s popularity has reached a level where comparisons to some of the biggest names in sports history are no longer reserved for social media debates.

Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are now part of the conversation.

The comparison came up during the Indiana Fever star’s new podcast No Hesitation where Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham and co-host Drew Hanlen discussed the impact Clark has had on women’s basketball.

Hanlen, a longtime basketball trainer, argued that Clark is doing something that goes far beyond simply being one of the best players in the WNBA.

“I’m just saying Caitlyn is one of those players that truly change your sport.“

Hanlen then compared Clark’s influence to Jordan’s impact on basketball.

“Like Michael Jordan when he played on the dream team kind of globalized men’s basketball. Like it became a global game after that.“

Sophie Cunningham and Drew Hanlen on the new No Hesitation Podcast say what Caitlin Clark did for the growth of the WNBA is the same level of impact that Michael Jordan had on the NBA and that Tiger Woods had on Golf.

Hanlen acknowledged that Jordan wasn’t solely responsible for basketball’s international explosion, but said the Dream Team’s Jordan-led presence helped elevate the sport around the globe.

That led him to another comparison.

“And listen, there were a ton of great golfers, but what Tiger Woods did for the sport of golf changed the game.“

Hanlen’s point wasn’t simply that Woods was a dominant golfer. It was that Woods brought an audience with him.

“Not only did he improve like the diversity aspect, but he brought eyeballs because it wasn’t just black folk, it was white folks, black folks, everybody was coming to watch Tiger Woods play golf.“

He then made the comparison even more directly.

“And when Tiger Woods didn’t play, the eyeballs weren’t there. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey guys, collectively we all are bringing eyeball.’ No, it was Tiger Woods.“

“Everybody wanted to see Tiger Woods in the news.“

Hanlen believes Clark has created a similar dynamic for the WNBA.

The argument isn’t that Clark is the only reason women’s basketball has grown. In fact, Hanlen went out of his way to acknowledge that other players deserve credit.

But he believes Clark’s arrival marked a significant turning point.

“I don’t think I should not get in trouble for knowing the obvious.“

Hanlen argued that Clark has helped take women’s basketball into a different phase of its growth.

“Like I think that you use that for your benefit. Like it is it is so obvious and that doesn’t mean there wasn’t greatness before her. Like it’s just like that’s when our game really started to go global. So 100%.“

Cunningham’s own comments during the discussion supported the idea that Clark has helped bring a different audience into the WNBA.

She recalled that her younger relatives had traditionally followed the NBA but became WNBA fans after Clark entered the league.

“And I’ll tell you what, mainly since Caitlyn came, they became W fans. And so they have Caitlyn’s jerseys.”

Cunningham also explained that the talent in the WNBA was always there. What changed was the amount of exposure the players received.

“But like the talent has always always been there, but now us players, we just have the platform and the eyes and companies want to be a part of something great and in something that is growing.“

Woke up to an actual Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese highlight reel.

The world is healing.

Hanlen used the Indiana Fever’s attendance as an example of how dramatic the change has been.

He pointed out that the Fever averaged just 2,004 fans per game in 2021.

“Now 2026, this season, you guys are averaging 15,918 per game.“

He then gave Clark the overwhelming majority of the credit.

“Now, that’s all because of Caitlyn.“

Cunningham pushed back slightly on the idea that people are showing up exclusively for Clark. Her argument was that Clark can be the entry point before fans discover the rest of the league.

“We’re not saying they’re only coming because of Caitlyn. They’re come. They started because of Caitlyn.”

She believes those new viewers then discover something bigger.

“Wait, this is entertaining. Wait, there’s a lot of girls that are really good at basketball. Wait, we want our daughters to grow up and play in the W or we want our daughters to be fans of these players.“

That distinction gets to the heart of the Jordan-and-Woods comparison.

Jordan didn’t invent basketball. Nor was Woods golf’s first great.

But they skyrocketed in their individual realms to become cultural forces who brought throngs of new audiences to their sports.

Hanlen believes Clark is doing something similar for women’s basketball.

“And so I think it’s crazy.“

He pointed to the league’s growth in viewership, attendance and media attention as evidence that the audience Clark helped bring into the WNBA is sticking around.

“People want to watch the games.“

The debate over Clark’s place in women’s basketball will continue for years. So will the arguments over her individual accomplishments and where she ranks among the game’s greatest players.

But the Jordan-and-Woods comparison isn’t really about those debates. It’s about reach.

Jordan made basketball bigger, and Woods elevated the links beyond belief.

Now, Indiana’s superstar is putting her stamp on the WNBA in a way that’s scarily reminiscent of those two icons.

Whether she eventually reaches the same cultural heights as Jordan or Woods remains to be seen.

But she’s already in the conversation and shows no sign of leaving.