US Congressman Brendan Boyle has become the latest unexpected voice in the ongoing controversy around Caitlin Clark’s treatment by the WNBA. Two incidents over the past week have driven that narrative further than usual. The first being Alyssa Thomas’ uncalled fist-to-the-throat foul on Clark drew sharp criticism toward the league office, and Clark’s absence from the WNBA’s 30th anniversary poster, despite being the league’s most commercially significant player, raised an even louder set of questions. Boyle’s comments landed squarely on the second issue.

“Admittedly I’m not a big WNBA fan and won’t be until Philly gets a team,” Congressman Boyle wrote on his X page. “But it’s just bizarre to me that they don’t market the one player they have who attracts so many fans, and that’s Caitlin Clark. It’s so strange. I remember the way the NBA marketed Jordan to the hilt.”

While Congressman Boyle might not watch the WNBA, as he himself pointed out, he is very much right about the impact Caitlin Clark has had and is having on the league. With her came elevated viewership, finances, and attention that the WNBA had never previously experienced at this scale. For him, a player of that magnitude, much like the NBA did with Michael Jordan, should logically be at the forefront of every major campaign.

Amidst all the backlash that Clark’s omission from the poster has generated, the WNBA is still yet to address it in any official capacity. The league has chosen not to release any statement regarding the selection process for the poster, or the subsequent social media backlash that followed.

The silence has left room for outside explanations to fill the gap, and one in particular has gained traction. Sports business analyst Darren Rovell offered a more grounded read on what likely happened, pointing not to intent but to licensing restriction that limited what the poster’s creators could actually use.

Likeness Licensing, Not League Bias: Darren Rovell Explains Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Poster Omission

According to Rovell, Caitlin Clark’s omission from the WNBA’s 30th anniversary poster had to do with likeness licensing rights issues. As he explained, the decision of who to include on the poster was heavily influenced by these licensing restrictions.

Specifically, Caitlin Clark’s contract with Nike only allowed the company that designed the banner the liberty to use her name and jersey number. It did not allow the use of her likeness. And so, the poster was made without her.

The explanation holds up under scrutiny. Apart from Caitlin Clark, many other legends of the game who should have been on the poster were also omitted. Notably, Tina Charles, a former MVP and eight-time All-Star, was not on the poster. All-time greats like Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, and Tamika Catchings were also absent.

Still, the explanation does not fully close the conversation. It raises a separate fair question: whether the WNBA could have worked with a company that held the licensing rights needed to include its most recognizable player from the start, rather than leaving the explanation to surface only after the backlash had already taken hold.