Chris Evert defends Caitlin Clark after viral Forbes claim sparks discussion about Fever star’s influence

Chris Evert defends Caitlin Clark after viral Forbes claim sparks discussion about Fever star’s influence

Tennis legend Chris Evert has once again shown her support for Caitlin Clark, saying the WNBA should celebrate the Indiana Fever star for her impact on women's basketball. Evert shared her thoughts on X while responding to a post claiming Clark was named the world's most powerful female athlete by Forbes. However, that claim was not fully accurate. Forbes ranked Clark fourth on its 2025 list of America's most powerful women in sports. She was the highest-ranked active athlete on the list, adding to the growing attention around her influence.

“The WNBA should be celebrating her…💃💃💃,” Evert wrote on X.The 18-time Grand Slam champion has repeatedly defended Clark and praised her role in bringing more attention to women's basketball. Her latest comment follows a Forbes ranking that placed Clark among the most influential women in American sports.Forbes released its list, titled America's Most Powerful Women in Sports 2025, on October 22, 2025. Clark ranked fourth, behind New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe, and Nike president Amy Montagne.Although Clark was the highest-ranked active athlete, the list was limited to American women in sports.

It did not name her the world's most powerful female athlete, as the viral post suggested.Other WNBA stars also featured on the list. Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart shared ninth place, with their achievements on the court and their work as co-founders of Unrivaled contributing to their standing. Serena Williams ranked 11th, Coco Gauff was 13th, and A'ja Wilson came in at 15th.Still, Clark's influence on the WNBA is difficult to overlook. Her arrival helped bring more viewers to the league during her rookie season in 2024. The WNBA recorded more than 54 million unique viewers across national television networks that year, while total attendance rose by 48% compared with 2023. Several factors contributed to that growth, but Clark became one of the biggest draws for fans.The Indiana Fever also recorded 340,715 fans at home games during the 2024 season. That figure broke the previous WNBA team attendance record of 250,565, set by the New York Liberty in 2001.

Evert's latest comments follow a pattern of support that goes back to 2024. When TIME named Clark its Athlete of the Year in December 2024, Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson argued that the magazine should have recognized the entire WNBA instead. Evert pushed back against that view and wrote on X that Clark “deserves this award.”Her support continued in June 2025 after Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon during a game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun.“When will these ladies realize, accept, and appreciate @CaitlinClark22 is the best thing that ever happened to women’s basketball. This is a bad look for the sport and what’s happened to sportsmanship?” Evert wrote on X.

The comment came after a physical game that drew attention to how Clark was being treated on the court. Christine Brennan, Clark's biographer, also questioned the decision to allow Marina Mabrey to remain in the game after the incident. Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham, who came to Clark's defense, was ejected.Evert continued to show her support even after Clark and the Fever were eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs. Responding to a parody account of Clark, Evert wrote, “GOAT forever…”Her latest message follows the same line. Evert believes Clark deserves recognition for what she brings to women's basketball. While the Forbes claim was inaccurate, Clark's ranking and her impact on WNBA viewership have kept the discussion about her influence alive.