In her new book, Christine Brennan delves into Caitlin Clark's journey from college standout to WNBA icon, exploring her transformative impact on women's sports.

A recently released book, 'Caitlin Clark and the Revolution of Women's Sports' by Christine Brennan, delves into the career and influence of WNBA player Caitlin Clark. The book highlights Clark's role in boosting attendance and television ratings for women's basketball, noting that her presence has drawn unprecedented crowds and viewership, even surpassing some men's events.

Brennan's reporting also addresses the broader cultural and social implications of Clark's popularity, including discussions about race and representation in the WNBA. The book suggests that while Clark's spotlight has brought attention to the league, it has also helped elevate the visibility of other players, particularly Black athletes who have historically received less recognition.

New book shines spotlight on Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA

From the moment her name was called during the WNBA draft, Katelyn Clark has been one of the most prominent faces of the league, helping shatter attendance records and ratings. And now a new book on her game, Katelyn Clark and the Revolution of Women's Sports, takes a deeper dive into the former Iowa Hawkeyes career and where she's headed next. Joining us now is the author of that book, award winning sports journalist Christine Brennan. And Christine, I'm so excited to talk with you about this book. I have it here. I have been reading it. It's been on my bedside table. You spent months reporting on this book. What makes Katelyn such a compelling cultural figure beyond just women's basketball? Liz, great to be with you. And you know what? She's a basketball player, right? Of course, she plays basketball. But she's really an entertainer. And that's what takes us to a whole new level. When she is shooting from the next county and the ball is going in the hoop, when she is throwing those shots up and there's no prayer of them going in, she's sideways, her legs askew. And that goes in, or those beautiful passes, length of the court, quick running. She says she loves to sprint. I talked to Katelyn, asked her about 40, 50 questions for the book. And she was great and forthcoming on everything. The way she plays, the fun, the joy, that's an entertainer. And that's entertainment. And that's what transcends sports. And that's where grandmothers and grandfathers in the produce section who are talking about their evening plans and making sure to watch the fever, very similar to the way it was with Tiger Woods. I covered him the length of his career. Same thing, where people who couldn't care less about golf watch Tiger. Same here. And that's why we see the incredible record TV ratings and attendance and just the national outpouring of love and fandom for this one 23-year-old athlete, Katelyn Clark. OK, you just mentioned some of those TV ratings. And Scripps News owns, we have the same parent company as ION, which now airs a lot of those basketball games, the Women's League. More Americans watched the Women's College Basketball Championship that she played in in April 2024 than watched the men's final the next day. It was 18.9 million viewers for the women, 14.8 million viewers for the men. How has Katelyn Clark as a player increased the eyeballs on these televised WNBA games? Statistics, as you mentioned, Liz, these statistics are eye-popping. I never thought I would see this in my lifetime, that people were lined up outside in January and February from some of our biggest arenas across the Big Ten in the country, like it's a Springsteen concert or Taylor Swift or Beyonce, to watch a woman play basketball. Hours and hours in the cold in Maryland and Ohio and in Michigan, Indiana, to watch her play college basketball. And that's all translated now to the WNBA. My favorite statistic in the book, the fever home attendance for her first year, her rookie year when Katelyn Clark arrived, the average home attendance for the Indiana fever in Katelyn Clark was higher than the average home attendance for five NBA teams. Think about that. Wow. I mean, to be able to say that sentence shows the sea change in our country. Title IX is 53 years old. The nation has fallen in love with what we've created with our daughters and our nieces and the girl you wave at on the driveway as she's lugging her volleyball gear and then she's going to change to her soccer gear in the car and then go play lacrosse. This is a national phenomenon. Katelyn Clark really is much more than just a sports story. She's one of the most famous people in the country in any way. Transcending the sport, this is a cultural and historic story. 100 years from now, people will be studying the rise of women in America, women presidents throughout the 30s, 40s, 50s. All of them, the common denominator, they learn those life lessons, winning and losing at a young age, teamwork and sportsmanship, because of Title IX. And Katelyn Clark, born in 02, got full blast Title IX. And the nation falling in love, as I said, with what we've created, giving our girls the opportunities that for generations we only gave to our boys. Katelyn Clark is the epitome of all that. And she recognizes that, it seems, in the conversations that you had with her. She pays homage to the women that came before her. I want to talk a little bit about the race dynamic in the WNBA, because you write in the book that the WNBA is about 74% black or mixed race with a sizable gay population. Katelyn Clark is a straight white woman. Do you think that she would be garnering this much attention if she was a black player, a black woman? As you know, I asked that question of a panel, and I have that in the introduction to On Her Game. And every single person on the panel, all of them, people of color, dear friends of mine, I was the only white person and I was asking the questions, all agreed, yes, it would be different, it would be less. That's, I think, no surprise to most people listening to us, right? But I do think this, that what she does, by bringing the eyeballs and bringing the spotlight for the first time ever, I cover the WNBA in the 90s, Liz. I cared very much. I go on radio shows defending women's basketball, defending women's WNBA and the college, covering women's final fours, covering the WNBA. And so many people would laugh, especially men, right? Oh, it's not a good product, they're below the rim, they're rolling around, there's jump balls. And, you know, we saw a lot of that. Well, the change here is that now those same men are wearing 22 jerseys, not just to games, those guys are going out in public, going to the gas station and the grocery store, in their 22 jerseys. What happens there is, as those eyeballs, as that spotlight follows Katelyn Clark, it also shines on all of those wonderful players, most of them black, who deserved attention for years, never got it from the male-dominated mainstream sports media. They're getting it now. Asia Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Aaliyah Boston, so many of these great players who were ignored, now they're getting the attention they deserve. The rising tide lifts all boats. There's the positive within this very fraught racial conversation that I deal with all of that, including amazing voices like Dr. Harry Edwards, the great civil rights advocate, Brianna Scurry, the goalkeeper, first black superstar of the women's national soccer team. Their voices in the book to try to explain this and why the WNBA was so unprepared for this moment. But yes, it's finally happening now for these black players as well. Well, I highly recommend people read this book. You write it, obviously, from a fact-based journalist standpoint, but it's also got great anecdotes and stories about it. I'm really enjoying it. Sports journalist and author Christine Brennan, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland to "discuss transatlantic trade relations."

Glasgow

Global Tariffs

Ursula von der Leyen to meet Donald Trump to discuss trade

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at dramatically changing how the U.S. approaches homelessness.

Washington

Trump signs executive order changing U.S. approach to homelessness

Former NFL Wide Receiver Donté Stallworth tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that the reselling of Super Bowl tickets by players and employees has long been an “open secret.” Stallworth believes that imposing fines and threatening player suspensions will significantly curb the practice of selling tickets for profit.

New York

NFL issues fines for selling Super Bowl tickets above face value

Typhoon Co-May has left a trail of destruction across the Philippines, making landfall in the country's northwestern region. Torrential rains and strong winds have battered towns and cities, damaging homes, roads, and farmland. At least 25 people have been reported dead.

Pangasinan

Philippines hit hard by Typhoon Co-May, dozens killed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Palestinian militant group Hamas, a day after withdrawing their delegations from talks.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu, Trump appear to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations

U.S. President Donald Trump is spending five days in Scotland visiting his luxury golf resorts. While the White House touts the economic impact, some locals say the developments have scarred the land and stirred controversy.

Edinburgh

Trump visits Scotland to tour golf courses amid protests

The U.S. Department of Justice is set to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted accomplice, amid mounting political pressure on President Donald Trump over his administration's handling of the Epstein case.

Ghislaine Maxwell to meet with U.S. Justice Dept. amid Epstein probe

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday (July 25) as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas, despite international calls for a ceasefire.

Bangkok

Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery

France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States.

Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved a draft bill to restore the independence of anti-corruption agencies, following nationwide protests and EU concerns over recent reforms that threatened their autonomy.

Ukraine Invasion

Zelensky approves anti-corruption bill after protests

Chinese and European Union leaders have met in Beijing for their first in-person summit since 2023, addressing a range of contentious issues amidst growing trade tensions. The talks, led by Chinese President Xi Jinping and EU officials Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, highlighted the complex nature of China-EU relations.

Beijing

China-EU summit ends in climate deal, talks strain over Ukraine

The United Kingdom and India have signed a trade agreement that will reduce tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky, cars and spices and allow more market access for businesses. British PM Keir Starmer hailed the agreement as a “landmark moment” for both countries.

London

UK, India sign free trade agreement during Modi visit

President Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell had a disagreement almost immediately as the two men set foot in the Fed's headquarters in Washington to survey an extensive renovation project on two of the reserve's buildings. Nancy Cordes has more.

Trump, Powell clash during tour of Federal Reserve renovations

Hulk Hogan, the legendary professional wrestler whose real name was Terry Bollea, died on Thursday at the age of 71, according to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Clearwater

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dead at the age of 71, WWE says

At least 12 were killed as a Thai-Cambodian border dispute escalated into deadly clashes on Thursday (July 24).

Surin

Thailand bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates

According to preliminary data, 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on board.

Tynda

Passenger plane crashes in Russia, killing all 49 people on board

Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died, World Wrestling Entertainment said in a statement on social media. He was 71. CBS News' Shanelle Kaul has more.

Hulk Hogan dies at 71, WWE says

The Wall Street Journal reports that former Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Trump his name appeared in the Epstein files. The White House denies wrongdoing.

Report: Trump was briefed on mentions in Epstein files

Columbia University will pay $200 million to resolve federal claims it failed to stop harassment of Jewish students during campus protests. The Trump administration had suspended the school's access to $400 million in funding.

Columbia settles for $200 million over antisemitism claims

Israel issued a statement indicating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Gaza negotiating team to return to Israel for ceasefire talks. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Israel brings back Gaza negotiating team for ceasefire 'consultations'

Also in the settlement is an agreement to ask prospective international students “questions designed to elicit their reasons for wishing to study in the United States,” and establishes processes to make sure all students are committed to “civil discourse.”

Columbia University to pay more than $220M in deal with Trump

There are several developments in the cases involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the migrant in ICE custody whom the Trump administration wrongly deported. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman reports.

Nashville

Kilmar Abrego Garcia to remain detained following new court orders

Dr. Salvador Plasencia admitted to distributing ketamine to actor Matthew Perry before his 2023 overdose. He is the fourth person to plead guilty in the case and faces up to 40 years in prison.

Los Angeles

Doctor pleads guilty in Matthew Perry death case

While both sides acknowledged progress on humanitarian issues, talks on a full ceasefire remain stalled. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for "result-oriented negotiations" to end the devastating war.

Istanbul

Russia and Ukraine conclude third round of peace talks in Istanbul

A passenger plane has crashed in southeastern Russia with up to 49 people onboard. Emergency services say the An-24 aircraft took off from the city of Khabarovsk and was heading to the town of Tynda. Wreckage was found on a mountainside around 15 kilometres from the flight's intended destination.

Russian passenger plane with 49 on board crashes

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed to retain the independence of anti-corruption agencies, bowing to pressure from the first wartime street protests and rare rebukes from European allies.

Kyiv

Zelenskiy to protect anti-corruption agencies, bows to protests

U.S. President Donald Trump's name is among the many appearing in the Epstein files, according to the Wall Street Journal, and he was told as much earlier this year by the U.S. Justice Department.

Trump calls reports he knew his name is in Epstein files ‘fake news’

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, the doctor accused of supplying Matthew Perry with ketamine in the month leading up to his death, has pleaded guilty to four counts  of distribution of ketamine. Plasencia is the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry's death to plead guilty.

California

Doctor accused of supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry pleads guilty

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners following the latest round of talks in Istanbul. The swap, involving dozens of soldiers — some severely wounded and held since the war’s start in 2022 — took place on Wednesday night. While the prisoner exchange marks a rare point of agreement, both delegations remain divided on ceasefire terms.

Ukraine-Russia talks: Delegations remain divided on ceasefire terms

After reviewing the Epstein files, Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Trump his name appears alongside many others, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal. CNN’s Paula Reid details what we know.

Breakdown