Holly Rowe’s emotional moment in Toronto was meant to celebrate women’s basketball. So why did it suddenly turn into a Caitlin Clark debate?

Holly Rowe expected to cover another (Women's National Basketball Association) WNBA game. Instead, she became part of the story herself.

Before the Indiana Fever faced the Toronto Tempo at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on August 19, the longtime ESPN reporter Holly Rowe became emotional while looking at a crowd of around 19,000 fans. For Rowe, the packed arena represented something much bigger than one game. It showed how far women’s basketball has come.

“I literally cannot quit crying to do my job right now. I mean, we have 19,000 people coming tonight to watch women’s basketball, and I'm just so proud,” Rowe said in a video shared before the game.

Was Caitlin Clark missing from the picture?

This message received harsh criticism from the fans of Caitlin Clark. Caitlin Clark is one of the main stars of women’s basketball and many people assumed that her presence was the reason for such attendance at the event. Rowe highlighted the development of women’s basketball in Toronto but did not mention any players.

This lack of mentioning caused a burst of responses in social media, where some people thought that Rowe ignored Clark intentionally, whereas others considered her celebration of the growth of the league. This situation is even more intriguing because Rowe has been one of the most vocal advocates of women’s basketball and Caitlin Clark in particular.

The bigger story goes beyond one player

Clearly, Clark has tremendous drawing power but the record crowd in Toronto also indicates the increased interest in the WNBA as more than just one player. The Fever won the game 101-95, with Clark scoring 24 points and continuing the Indiana team’s streak of victories to five.

Rowe also has strong ties to the sport of women’s basketball. She has talked about her family and her role as a single parent of her son, McKylin Jordan Rowe, who is an actor, writer and producer, and even has co-hosted the Call Your Mom podcast with her. Rowe has expressed before how she feels about the women’s basketball. In one of her stories about legendary coach Pat Summitt, she talked about ending her relationship with a man because he referred to her as “just a coach.”

This story explains what affected the crowd in Toronto so much.

What does this mean for the WNBA?

As Business Fortune sees, the controversy may fade but the bigger trend is hard to ignore. Crowds are growing, stars such as Clark are attracting enormous attention and cities across North America are showing that women’s basketball can command major stages. With the continuous growth of WNBA, crowd of nearly 19,000 people at Toronto game can become less surprising. And the next step might be using this growing attention in order to build the league’s fandom.

 

FAQs

Why did Holly Rowe become emotional?

She was moved by the large Toronto crowd supporting women’s basketball.

Why were Caitlin Clark fans upset with Rowe?

Some fans felt she should have acknowledged Clark’s role in attracting the crowd.

How many people attended the game?

Around 19,000 fans attended the game at Scotiabank Arena.

Did Caitlin Clark play in the game?

Yes. Clark scored 24 points as Indiana defeated Toronto 101-95.

Who is McKylin Jordan Rowe?

He is Holly Rowe’s son and has worked as an actor, writer and producer.