NBA 2K is in a constant battle to innovate the game and provide something new each year, and Caitlin Clark may be the biggest asset to help in many years. There will always be a core group of basketball fans that purchase the game every year since they love the league. However, that core group often complains about the game feeling too similar every single year. New customers are less likely to give a new game a chance with the same game modes having minimal updates.

One interesting idea the developers came up with was adding the WNBA teams and rosters to NBA 2K a few years ago. The relationship has continued, but it has added little to the game. WNBA fans have complained about the weaker face scans for players, making some look unrecognizable in the video game. The lack of game modes for the WNBA makes users unable to get much longevity out of it, but that should change with the perks of new talent.

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Enter The Caitlin Clark Era In Video Game Form

Basketball’s hottest new phenom may be the perfect player to force change, as 2K sports games would be foolish not to market her to the moon. Clark gained more attention during March Madness than any other college basketball player in either tournament. The WNBA Draft received massive ratings that showed the interest in Clark is not stalling but doubling down as she enters the next stage at the professional level.

  • Clark Made Women's Basketball March Madness Must-Watch Television
  • WNBA Draft Ratings Showed That Her Fan Following Is Coming With Her
  • NBA 2K Marketing Clark Could Make Game Feel Fresher Than Past Years

A game criticized for not having enough new or improved features adding a massive name with star power in her video game debut is a big deal. NBA 2K has released alternate covers with WNBA players in the past, and that should absolutely continue with a star of Clark’s magnitude. The NBA has shown a desire to promote the WNBA more, so a massive video game franchise should make Clark one of the faces of the brand instantly.

The Indiana Fever recently announced they’ve already sold 13 times more tickets for home games this season than last year without Clark on the roster. WNBA television networks will air 36 of her 40 games on the national television broadcasts. Everyone involved is already benefiting from Clark’s rookie season, and NBA 2K would be foolish to miss the boat.

Adding New Features For WNBA Modes

The limitations of what one can do involving WNBA players in NBA 2K make it less impressive to have them represented in the game. 2K easily allows users to use any current NBA team, many classic NBA teams from the past, and even all-time rosters of each NBA team’s greatest players in online modes. However, there is no way for WNBA fans to use the current teams against other friends online to stifle that growth.

Other modes like the W or 3 on 3 games offer the bare minimum for the women’s league getting represented in the game. NBA 2K users would love the chance to enter the “play now” mode and use WNBA teams for a quick game against other players. The established modes can also easily be improved with the right presentation.

The WNBA season starts towards the end of the NBA Playoffs, but the NBA offseason months are when the games pick up steam. NBA 2K could get extra attention and make the game more relevant with WNBA involvement, as the season is going strong when the new NBA 2K games are released.

NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest Mode Would Be Huge

NBA 2K witnessed a spike in popularity when Stephen Curry became a generational superstar with his three-point shooting. Basketball fans who love gaming were able to start shooting deep three-pointers in a way that was impossible in previous years. Curry was so good that NBA2K was forced to change the landscape of three-point shooting, and now multiple players can fire from deep.

Caitlin Clark holds the same appeal with an unbelievable range shooting from outside the three-point line. No WNBA player at a high level has ever shot three-pointers from as deep as Clark already shows the ability to. Sabrina Ionescu is the other great three-point shooter in the WNBA, but she typically uses the shorter WNBA three-point line to her advantage.

The most recent NBA All-Star Weekend was criticized heavily, outside the spectacular three-point shootout between Curry and Ionescu. Rumors are already circulating about Clark being added to this NBA event next season. NBA 2K will be leaving money on the table by not having this mode of online three-point contests and adding Clark to it. There is a hidden feature for three-point contests in regular season simulations, so it wouldn't require drastic changes.

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Now is the Time For WNBA Growth

The biggest reason to market Caitlin Clark with the next NBA 2K game is the growth of the WNBA providing the right timing. Last season’s postseason and WNBA Finals had the best metrics in many years across the board. The WNBA saw attendance, social media buzz, and television ratings peaking thanks to the star power of the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty “super teams.”

  • 2023 WNBA Finals Showed Ratings Picking Up Steam
  • New Players Entering League Have Huge Fan Followings
  • 2K Should Be Part Of Movement At Earlier Stages

Both teams are preparing for another epic season each, but the new talent entering the league after such a great NCAA women’s basketball tournament makes it the perfect mix. The WNBA gained fans last season and is on the perfect path towards intriguing new fans wanting to see Clark, Angel Resse, and other new stars from the draft.

NBA management often talks about the growth of the WNBA as an important business plan for the long-term picture. There is no way to grow the league without pinpointing all the platforms that help the NBA game, and video games are part of that. Clark’s rookie year will be the perfect time to strike when the iron is hot. NBA 2K will never have a better time to improve the game, help the WNBA, and add new features than Caitlin Clark’s rookie year.