Clark’s omission from WNBA anniversary poster raises eyebrows

The WNBA has come out with a poster to commemorate the league’s 30th anniversary, but Fever G Caitlin Clark is “not on it,” the latest example that the league keeps “driving into a wall at full speed” regarding Clark, according to Fox Sports Radio’s Colin Cowherd. It would be one thing if the poster wan an “ode to the veterans that started the league,” but it features at least two of Clark’s contemporaries -- Dream F Angel Reese and Wings G Paige Bueckers. Cowherd said, “When she broke into the league, you moved her road games to bigger arenas to accommodate the fans. You were flying the last six rows of Southwest Airlines until she made such an impact you transitioned, pivoted, to private jets. And she’s not on the 30-year poster but Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are.” He added, “You can’t figure out a way to put your most popular player on it? If the NFL came out with a 30-year poster today to commemorate the last 30 years … yes, they’d have Brady and Manning and Favre. I can guarantee you they’d have Mahomes on it -- three years ago. It’s just like, what are we doing here? It’s not that complicated” (“The Herd,” Fox Sports Radio, 6/25).

DON’T FORGET ABOUT US: USA TODAY’s Mitchell Northam noted the omission of Clark from the poster is the WNBA’s “latest self-inflicted wound,” as she is “easily the most recognizable player in the league.” Northam: “When you make a poster intended to represent the greatness of the WNBA’s past and present, and you include Sophie Cunningham, Marina Mabrey and Aneesah Morrow, but not Clark … how was that outrage not predictable?” Leaving Clark off was not the only questionable decision, as the absences of Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Elena Delle Donne also are “wildly egregious” (USA TODAY, 6/25).

ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION: USA TODAY’s Cory Woodroof noted the poster not including Clark and the other legends likely “had to do with it being for sale from WinCraft,” which is a Fanatics company. If those players “didn’t have a deal with Fanatics to use their likeness for products like this WNBA 30th anniversary poster, the company couldn’t legally have used it.” The league perhaps would have been “better served to use another vendor so these legendary players would be featured on an official 30th poster.” Woodroof: “It’s not a great poster for these glaring omissions, but legality likely came into play” (USA TODAY, 6/25).