Seattle Storm player Lexie Brown has been in the WNBA since 2018 and won a championship with the Chicago Sky in 2021. In recent years, she has noticed how the culture and image of the WNBA has changed since Caitlin Clark’s arrival in 2024.
“Has it changed how people look at the WNBA? Absolutely. I think, unfortunately, our value, the respect that we got, has been directly tied to how much money we make, and it’s not rocket science to see that since her arrival, and the rest of that 2024 class, the WNBA has skyrocketed. I’m not going to act like it’s not a coincidence,” Brown told Pakinomist Digitalence.
“I think people are taking the league more seriously, I think people are taking us more seriously as professional athletes. And I think if you consider that it’s a culture shift, I would say, absolutely.”
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever is defended by Lexie Brown of the Los Angeles Sparks in the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 28, 2024. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Brown admitted that injuries and her battle with Crohn’s disease have kept her off the field over the past two seasons during Clark’s rise, playing in just 40 total games since 2024.
Still, Brown witnessed the phenomena and controversy as a competitor.
“Do I think there were instances of excessive physicality? Absolutely,” Brown said when asked about the on-field play involving the 2024 draft class. “But I think it happens in all leagues, for rookies, the young players, I think it’s just the competitiveness of things. … I feel like if you watch the season, you can come to your own conclusions about it. I’ve seen a lot of other over-the-top plays over the years.”
Brown pointed to when she suffered a concussion during a case of ‘excessive physicality’ in her third season as a member of the Minnesota Lynx.
“It happens, unfortunately,” she said.
Clark’s entry into the WNBA in 2024 catalyzed record viewership, sold-out arenas and financial growth for the league.
But along with the growth came a viral debate about physicality on the field and media coverage, especially among many of the new fans Clark brought to the sport. A few times during his rookie year, Clark suffered hard contact from certain opponents. Each of these moments ignited heated social media debates.
“She was a rookie coming in, that’s super talented and was number one on everybody’s scouting report. So you get the best defender, you get the most physical, and I just think it was something she’d never seen before. And as a year went on, she adjusted and got used to it,” Brown said.
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“It was hard at first for her to deal with that learning curve, growing pains, and you know, I think her fans were a little taken aback by the physicality of the WNBA, but I think like I said before, they allowed her to grow and learn through it and she came out on top in the end.”
Brown herself has developed a complex dynamic with the hordes of new fans who have flocked to the WNBA since Clark’s arrival.
“There’s now a greater separation between fans and players … we were such a niche, a small community, tight-knit community for so long, and the WNBA has finally broken into this, just like the mainstream sports media space, which is all we’ve been asking for, maybe we wouldn’t have this new CBA, we wouldn’t have these new contracts without it,” she said.
“So I won’t say I’m not grateful… these eyes, these new viewers have changed so many of our lives.”
But Brown claims one of the things she’s had to deal with amid the WNBA’s growth in fandom is questioning her validity as a WNBA player, amid her battle with Crohn’s disease and past injuries.
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Lexie Brown of the Seattle Storm poses for a portrait during media day at the BECU Storm Center for Basketball Performance in Seattle, Washington on April 22, 2026. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“I think because this explosion in the WNBA of interest for new eyes has happened in the last two years and I’ve been practically non-existent on the court because I’ve been dealing with Crohn’s and last year I just didn’t get an opportunity to play. There’s been a lot of eyebrows raised about how I got here if I deserve to still play limited minutes, why I still have limited playing time in the WNBA. limited points per game and the general lack of empathy and sympathy,” said she.
“For me, it’s just having a little bit more empathy, understanding that myself and so many other players in this league are more than the statistics.”
