After the second time she lost to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese pleaded with fans to understand that the recent surge in the WNBA’s popularity was not due to Caitlin Clark alone.

Well, Angel Reese will not like what the new WNBA viewership numbers have to say about that.

In numbers shared yesterday by Fox Sports’ Michael Mulvihill, it’s clear that Caitlin Clark is carrying the league on her shoulders.

Numbers do not lie. Clark is more than doubling the viewership of every other WNBA game and nearly quadrupling the viewership from last year when she wasn’t in the league.

It’s no secret that Caitlin Clark is the main attraction for the WNBA, but dang.

Clark and Reese’s last two matchups have gained 2.5 and 2.3 million viewers, respectively. So, the rivalry factor with Reese definitely plays into those numbers in some way. However, in every game, other than those isolated examples, Clark fuels the fan interest by herself.

These numbers also explain the real reason why opponents have so frequently and violently targeted Clark. It has very little to do with race. At this level of basketball, everyone has played with people from other cultures and ethnicities. No, the resentment against Clark is borne of jealousy and envy.

In this video, you can almost see Angel Reese trying to convince herself that it’s not just about Caitlin Clark.

I’m not a professional body language expert. However, I’ll venture to say that the more one’s head bobs and looks off into space, the more it becomes increasingly clear that they don’t actually believe what they’re saying.

In any event, we don’t have to use body language. The numbers are out, and it’s clear what they say: This is Caitlin Clark’s league. Everyone else is just playing in it.