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With Iowa G
Caitlin Clark on her way to the pros and LSU F
Angel Reese likely not far behind, WNBA Commissioner
Cathy Engelbert said Friday their impact could parallel what
Larry Bird and
Magic Johnson did for the NBA upon their arrival in 1979.
Bird and Johnson are often credited with rejuvenating the NBA at a time Finals games were televised on tape delay. The difference with Clark and Reese -- who faced off in the 2023 NCAA Championship game -- is that the WNBA is already on the upswing. But Engelbert told SBJ she sees similarities 45 years later.
"Unprecedented heights -- the NBA got that with Magic and Larry,’’ said Engelbert, an NBA aficionado whose father Kurt was a 1957 draft pick of the Pistons. "They got it with Magic and Larry because it was a rivalry coming out of college and two great players and then L.A.-Boston, coast to coast. So that was a great story that put [the NBA] on the map. Then Michael Jordan came with Nike, then it was Shaq, Kobe and the rest is history as to where the NBA sits now.
"So yes, absolutely. ... This will certainly be a moment we'll look back and say it was a game changer for us. And I want to reiterate, there's a lot of great players coming out not only in college, but in the league already [and] if people watch -- and your revenue models are based on how many viewers you have -- it's great to have household names, rivalries and games of consequence. And that's what we're going to have this year.''
