WNBA Vet Tina Charles Praises Caitlin Clark, 'New Generation' For Bringing Attention To Women's Basketball

While some WNBA veterans have seemed unreceptive to Caitlin Clark and the new rookie class, Tina Charles has a completely different perspective.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the Atlanta Dream center credited the "new generation" for bringing new life and more eyeballs to women's basketball.

"The energy that we're getting, the reception, the eyes that we're getting on us, it's amazing," Charles said. "It's just because of that new generation that's coming in. They've just taken the baton from '97 and just bringing us forward. Just very thankful for their skill, just how they're handling themselves and the media. It's just bringing us along."

Charles began her WNBA career in 2010 as the No. 1 overall pick by the Connecticut Sun. And since then, the eight-time All-Star has seen the league struggle to sell merchandise, garner TV ratings and put butts in seats.

But the future is looking bright.

Attendance and viewership both increased league-wide in 2023. This spring, the reigning back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces became the first team in WNBA history to sell out its allotment of season tickets.

Tina Charles praises Caitlin Clark for bringing more attention to the WNBA.

(Getty Images & USA Today Sports)

And the arrival of this year's rookie class — led by college basketball's all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark — is furthering this upward trend. Jersey sales are up, and TV viewership numbers have skyrocketed across women’s basketball. April’s draft averaged a record 2.47 million viewers (a 307% increase over last year), and it was the most-viewed WNBA telecast since 2000.

"People who are in the right position are just taking the baton and moving it forward," Charles said.

The 2012 WNBA MVP credited Clark specifically for helping make it all happen, but she made it clear that players like Cameron Brink and Angel Reese are doing their parts, too.