Mystics co-owner: We can't pin the WNBA's success on Caitlin Clark alone

Sheila Johnson, a co-owner of the Washington Mystics, believes Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark doesn't deserve sole credit for the recent growth of the WNBA.

"It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the point where we are now. And this year something clicked with the WNBA, and it's because of the draft or the players that came in," Johnson said to CNN's Amanda Davies. "It's just not Caitlin Clark, it's (Angel) Reese. We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don't think we can just pin it on one player."

Johnson, who is vice chairwoman and partner of Mystics parent company Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said she believes Clark has been getting all the attention because of "the structure or the way the media plays out race." She said many WNBA players of color have been equally talented, but they never got the recognition they deserved.

Clark was named Time magazine Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, an award Johnson believes the Fever guard should have shared.

"Why couldn't they have put the whole WNBA on that cover and said, 'The WNBA is the league of the year' because of all the talent that we have," Johnson said. "When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings."

Clark is undeniably popular. Her Fever visited the Mystics twice in 2024, and those two games totaled 31% of Washington's home attendance for the entire season.

The Iowa product was also named 2024 Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and a league-high 8.4 assists per game. She became the first rookie in WNBA history with multiple triple-doubles and set a record for most points by a guard in a single season.

Clark was also an All-Star, an All-Rookie selection, and a first-team All-WNBA member.

The Fever tip off their 2025 season May 17 against Reese's Chicago Sky. Clark will play the Mystics at home May 28, and the Fever will visit Washington on June 3 for a WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.