Caitlin Clark carries a target on her back, both on the court and off it. While the Indiana Fever guard is a potent threat on the floor, off it, she represents nothing less than a highly marketable brand. Recently, the Phoenix Mercury just gave Caitlin Clark’s fans all the ammunition they needed to cry hypocrisy.

Clark’s fans flock to the venues to watch her in action all across the nation, which is evident in the attendance records of games featuring the 24-year-old. The Phoenix Mercury will welcome Caitlin Clark & co. to the Mortgage Matchup Center on July 9, and announced that tickets are up for sale for the game, using Kahleah Cooper and Caitlin Clark’s images in the tweet.

Caitlin Clark’s hype has increased because of her long absence from WNBA courts because of a long-term injury. The 24-year-old returned to the floor in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and outshone everyone, earning the MVP honor at the event.

The Mercury’s use of Clark’s image on the announcement is that it’s all about her star power.

“When it’s time to sell tickets,” – Fans point to an obvious reason behind Mercury’s post

Fans called the Phoenix Mercury out for using Caitlin Clark’s image, trying to use her marketability to sell their tickets.

One fan said, “Other teams love CC when it’s time to sell tickets.”

Phoenix isn’t the first franchise to cash in on the 24-year-old’s brand value. The Dallas Wings had marketed the season opener against the Indiana Fever in 2024 as Caitlin Clark’s debut, which ultimately resulted in a sell-out crowd. Multiple teams even move their home games against the Fever to bigger arenas to maximize revenue. The Mercury are just following the blueprint laid by other teams.

Another echoed the same sentiment, stating, “When it’s time to sell something…get Clark.”

From teams to brands, Caitlin Clark’s name sells. Nike and Gatorade are continuously partnering up with the Indiana Fever star to market and sell their products. The Seattle Storm once packaged Fever games with other, less popular games to drive up attendance numbers and ticket sales for the latter games.

Some think Mercury is a better marketer of Caitlin, stating, “The Mercury advertises CC better than the Fever.”

While Phoenix has continuously been appreciative of Caitlin Clark and her impact on the league, the Indiana Fever also consistently markets its 24-year-old centerpiece. Recently, they posted a Caitlin Clark hype tweet with the countdown post also featuring Caitlin’s image.

Others highlighted the hypocrisy of other WNBA teams and fans. They noticed, “I wonder why they don’t put Kelsey Mitchell or AB on their advertising? CC, according to ya’ll, is a role player and has no motion.”

People have continuously tried to downplay Caitlin Clark’s importance in the Fever setup and overall, her performances in the WNBA. WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes didn’t give Caitlin her share of credit in Indiana’s rise as a competitive franchise after her arrival. While she has changed her stance since, the 24-year-old’s peers rating her as the 9th-best guard in 2024 despite receiving record-breaking fan votes for the All-Star nominations is still fresh in everyone’s memory.

Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston are always hyped as bigger influencers on the Fever rotation, with Clark’s success often credited to the presence of these stars alongside her.

Aliyah Boston recently signed the highest total payout deal in the WNBA, and one fan was quick to point out why the Mercury still chose Caitlin Clark as the headliner. They said, “Why is CC22 pictured and not AB??? AB is the highest-paid person in the league. Obviously, the Fever thinks she is the most important player on the team….. jus’sayin.”

While Aliyah Boston is supremely important for the Fever, Caitlin Clark is still on her rookie-scale contract and doesn’t qualify for a renegotiation as per the CBA terms until next year. Aliyah Boston qualified this year and has been handed a rightful raise and a new contract.

Caitlin Clark will mostly enter renegotiations next year and could be in line for a similar raise. The Indiana Fever have retained all of their core players from last year, and securing Boston’s next few years at Indiana would have been a priority. Also, leaving the negotiation to next year would have put too much pressure on the salary cap, with Caitlin also eligible for a raise.

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