Caitlin Clark Adds a Major New Gig to Her Resume, And It’s Not Playing Basketball
NBC has been dominating Sunday night television for the last 20 weeks or so with Sunday Night Football, and the network will absolutely do so once again when it broadcasts Super Bowl 60 on February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
In between, however, NBC is also slated to debut its brand new NBA pregame show, Basketball Night in America, on Sunday, February 1.
Joining host Maria Taylor and a trio of NBA Hall of Famers in Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter, will be none other than Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark Set to Join NBC Panel for Debut of 'Basketball Night in America'
The addition of Clark, officially being coined as a "Special Contributor" for the debut of NBC's latest shiny Sunday night sports offering, feels like as close to a lock for a ratings boost as a network could possibly get.
Given Clark's immense popularity, and with the 2026 WNBA season not set to kick off until March 8, the NBA crossover makes a ton of sense to get the Indiana Fever star in front of the cameras for her many fans — and of course with the hopes to expand those precious viewing eyeballs for the league.
"I'm really excited to be part of the 'Basketball Night in America' crew this season," Clark said in a report from The Athletic. "Carmelo [Anthony], Vince [Carter] and Tracy [McGrady] are legends of the game, and Maria [Taylor] is a true professional. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season."
The greatest takeaway from Clark's quote is that this appears it will not be a one-and-done type of guest spot just to give the show some extra juice in its debut.
As of now, Clark is reportedly scheduled to return to Basketball Night in America on March 29, when the Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the New York Knicks.
Details Behind Caitlin Clark's 'Basketball Night in America' NBC Debut
Clark's NBC debut will fittingly take place with the backdrop being the "Mecca of Basketball," also known as New York City, with the Knicks hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, a once-a-year visit that always adds some noticeable extra buzz within the confines of Madison Square Garden.
The pregame show with Clark and Co. for Basketball Night in America will begin at 6 p.m. ET on NBC, with the Lakers and Knicks set to tip-off at 7 p.m ET.
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Clark's ever-growing fan base will likely be particularly delighted to learn of this news since the 24-year-old point guard dealt with a persistent groin injury that unfortunately cost her a ton of time away from the court last season.
It was an injury that ultimately forced the two-time WNBA All-Star to sit out the Fever's final 22 games, in addition to the team's miraculous postseason run that fell one win short of reaching the WNBA Finals.
All signs have pointed to good health as of late, though, with Clark recently getting her golf game on, participating in the LPGA's Annika pro-am with Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham Lexie Hull serving as her caddies.
Related: Caitlin Clark Admits Hard Truth Amid Frustrating Injury Situation