Indiana Fever standout Caitlin Clark continues to be the WNBA’s most popular player, widely regarded as the league’s biggest star. Her presence consistently draws packed crowds and high TV ratings. Clark has matched the expectations with impressive stats over two seasons, averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. She’s earned All-Star honors twice and served as a team captain last season.
Surprisingly, despite Clark’s massive popularity, she wasn’t the most searched WNBA player in 2025. That distinction belongs to her teammate Sophie Cunningham. Google Trends ranked Cunningham as the seventh most searched athlete in the U.S. in 2025, outpacing many big names and standing as the only WNBA player in the top 10. Clark held the seventh spot in 2024 as the sole WNBA player featured then.
Other notable WNBA stars include Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese and 2025 No.1 draft pick Paige Bueckers, alongside Fever players Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Lexi Hull. However, Cunningham’s sharp rise in popularity came somewhat unexpectedly. Clark’s absence in most of the 2025 season, caused by a groin injury limiting her to 13 games, might have influenced search trends.
Cunningham’s fame boost notably followed an incident where she responded to on-court drama involving Clark, gaining over 300,000 Instagram followers and seeing her TikTok following jump from 300,000 to 1.2 million, according to Chloe Peterson from the Indianapolis Star. The incident involved Cunningham being ejected for head-jumping Jaycee Sheldon after a physical confrontation triggered by a poke to Clark’s eye.
This surge helped Cunningham eclipse Clark in online searches, signaling a new dynamic in the league’s fan engagement.
Fan Take: This shift in attention highlights the growing depth of star power within the WNBA, showing that rising talents like Sophie Cunningham can captivate fans and bring fresh energy to the league. It’s an exciting sign that the WNBA’s popularity is expanding beyond a few marquee names, boosting the sport’s visibility and growth potential.
