Caitlin Clark moment at Pacers game vindicates 'face of the NBA' verdict (2025)

WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark stole headlines and outperformed LeBron James and NBA playoff highlights with an appearance during Game 1 between the Pacers vs. Bucks

The NBA Playoffs may have tipped off in Indiana, but reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark stole the show as she sat in attendance for the Pacers' dominant 117-98 Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

A short 11-second video posted by the NBA showed Clark waving to fans and posing with kids wearing her red No. 22 Fever jersey, which earned nearly 1 million views on X. The brief moment outperformed clips of the actual game, including a second-quarter highlight featuring Pacers star Myles Turner swatting a shot to ignite a transition three. That moment managed just 181,000 views in the same time frame.

Even LeBron James couldn't match her numbers. A video of the four-time MVP and champion warming up for the Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves earned just half the engagement of Clark's courtside cameo. Her clip was enough to reignite former NBA player and 'Gil's Arena' host Rashad McCants' viral claim that Clark is "the face of the NBA."

On March 1, McCants went on X and wrote: "The face of the NBA is Caitlin Clark! Yea I said it! She has handled criticism better than the people you consider the greatest of all time." He then tagged Clark and said: "You're the GOAT!"

Clark's crossover appeal between three basketball leagues now has receipts to back McCant's claims. Outside of her presence at NBA games, her collegiate finale saw Iowa's Final Four run pull in record-shattering TV numbers, including a peak of 24.1 million viewers for the 2023 national title game against South Carolina. Clark played in the top three highest-rated NCAA women's basketball games ever.

She led Iowa to a sold-out season, generated over $3 million in ticket sales, and drew a record-breaking 55,646 fans to a preseason exhibition at Kinnick Stadium. The Fever's home crowds averaged nearly 17,000 fans during the 2024 season, and their matchup with the Mystics set the single-game WNBA attendance record at 20,711.

Clark became the top-selling college athlete on Fanatics with a CGC-authenticated card that sold for $84,000. Her Nike deal was reportedly worth $28 million, allowing her to turn down lucrative offers for a roster spot in the Unrivaled League. She is also the youngest and only basketball player named to Forbes' 2024 World's 100 Most Powerful Women list and was featured in both Time and Forbes' "Athlete of the Year" and "30 Under 30" features.

The guard approaching her second pro season helped the Fever break multiple attendance records, brought thousands to autograph sessions, and saw her jersey retired by Iowa at 23 years old. She's also outpacing several NBA stars, including Jalen Brunson, Austin Reaves, and Tyler Herro in terms of digital influence, with 3.1 million Instagram followers.

When speaking about her newfound fame in September, Clark said: "It's all happened so fast. I don't feel famous. I don't feel like a celebrity. That's not the way I approach my life. I still go and buy candles at the store, the fall spice candles." Clark's Fever added Makayla Timpson, Bree Hall, and Yvonne Ejim during the WNBA Draft and will look to build on an even 20-20 record last season.