{"id":51662,"date":"2026-06-30T10:26:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=51662"},"modified":"2026-06-30T10:26:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:26:38","slug":"emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html","title":{"rendered":"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be &#8216;Better Off&#8217; Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_51665\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51665\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-51665\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-51665\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Speakeasy \/ YouTube | Inset: John Mac \/ Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Former NFL player and sports commentator Emmanuel Acho is facing backlash after arguing that the WNBA would actually be &#8220;better off&#8221; without Caitlin Clark\u2014even as he acknowledged the Indiana Fever star has been the driving force behind the league&#8217;s unprecedented rise in popularity.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on his <em>Speakeasy<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lqQbYhEmqIg\">podcast<\/a>, Acho suggested Clark has already accomplished what the league needed her to do.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The W, at this junction in time, would be better off without Caitlin Clark because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#8220;The WNBA would be better without Caitlin Clark, because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EmmanuelAcho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EmmanuelAcho<\/a> FULL SENDS Caitlin Clark criticism over all of the coddling and catering she receives from fans and media<\/p>\n<p>LIVE RIGHT NOW \u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oU4bmDUTFL\">https:\/\/t.co\/oU4bmDUTFL<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2JEGSYHh17\">pic.twitter.com\/2JEGSYHh17<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/speakeasytlkshw\/status\/2071446090352828644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 29, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Acho argued that Clark&#8217;s arrival brought millions of new viewers to the WNBA, allowing fans to discover the league&#8217;s broader talent pool.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Caitlin got the necessary eyes there, but now that the eyes are there, we don&#8217;t necessarily need her anymore,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He went even further, claiming Clark had helped usher in charter flights, a new collective bargaining agreement, and significantly larger player salaries before concluding, &#8220;If Caitlin disappeared from the W, she wouldn&#8217;t be missed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The comments immediately sparked debate across social media, with many fans questioning how the league could thrive without the player widely credited with transforming its financial outlook.<\/p>\n<p>Clark&#8217;s rookie season in 2024 coincided with record-breaking attendance, soaring television ratings, booming merchandise sales, and a multibillion-dollar media rights agreement. The league&#8217;s increased revenue also paved the way for improved player benefits, including permanent charter flights and dramatically higher salaries under the new collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n<p>While many observers agree the WNBA boasts elite talent across its roster, Clark has undeniably become its biggest attraction, drawing new audiences who had never before followed women&#8217;s professional basketball.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion came just days after another controversy involving Clark&#8217;s treatment on the court. Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was suspended one game and fined $1,000 following an incident during a loose-ball scramble that reignited questions about whether Clark is being targeted by opposing players.<\/p>\n<p>Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham believes she is.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheapshotting [Clark] in the throat&#8230; they&#8217;re definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her,&#8221; Cunningham said on her podcast.<\/p>\n<p>Whether Clark receives unfair treatment remains a matter of debate. But her impact on the league is much harder to dispute.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of Acho argue that the WNBA&#8217;s long-term success depends on showcasing its many stars rather than relying on a single player. Critics counter that the league is still benefiting directly from the excitement Clark generates every time she steps on the court.<\/p>\n<p>For now, one thing is clear: Caitlin Clark remains at the center of nearly every major conversation surrounding the WNBA\u2014and her influence on the league&#8217;s growth shows little sign of fading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former NFL player and sports commentator Emmanuel Acho is facing backlash after arguing that the WNBA would actually be &#8220;better off&#8221; without Caitlin Clark\u2014even as he acknowledged the Indiana Fever star has been the driving force behind the league&#8217;s unprecedented rise in popularity. Speaking on his Speakeasy podcast, Acho suggested Clark has already accomplished what&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":51665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be &#039;Better Off&#039; Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Emmanuel Acho says the WNBA would be better off without Caitlin Clark, igniting debate over her historic impact on the league.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be &#039;Better Off&#039; Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Emmanuel Acho says the WNBA would be better off without Caitlin Clark, igniting debate over her historic impact on the league.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Idol Chatter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-30T14:26:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beliefnet Contributors\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be 'Better Off' Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate","description":"Emmanuel Acho says the WNBA would be better off without Caitlin Clark, igniting debate over her historic impact on the league.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be 'Better Off' Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate","og_description":"Emmanuel Acho says the WNBA would be better off without Caitlin Clark, igniting debate over her historic impact on the league.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html","og_site_name":"Idol Chatter","article_published_time":"2026-06-30T14:26:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beliefnet Contributors","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html","name":"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be 'Better Off' Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-30T14:26:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-30T14:26:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/#\/schema\/person\/450625ec20bf3e8a84060b9321455f3d"},"description":"Emmanuel Acho says the WNBA would be better off without Caitlin Clark, igniting debate over her historic impact on the league.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2026\/06\/Caitlin-Clark_credit-Speakeasy-Inset-John-Mac-Flickr.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"Speakeasy \/ YouTube | Inset: John Mac \/ Flickr"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/06\/emmanuel-acho-says-wnba-would-be-better-off-without-caitlin-clark-igniting-fresh-debate.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Emmanuel Acho Says WNBA Would Be &#8216;Better Off&#8217; Without Caitlin Clark, Igniting Fresh Debate"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/","name":"Idol Chatter","description":"Beliefnet Entertainment blog, TV blog, Movie blog, Religion in entertainment blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/#\/schema\/person\/450625ec20bf3e8a84060b9321455f3d","name":"Brandy Grenier","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/e53\/e53f6ea4c6b15081d4df68e2d7d7750ex96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/e53\/e53f6ea4c6b15081d4df68e2d7d7750ex96.jpg","caption":"Brandy Grenier"},"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/author\/bgrenier"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/516"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51662"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51671,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51662\/revisions\/51671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}