"Do they say that about Caitlin Clark?": Alex Palou's boss gives a WNBA comparison after Indy 500 win raises concerns

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou won the 109th Indy 500 on Sunday (May 25) to top off his hot winning streak with his fifth win in six races this season. His dominance, however, has raised concerns about whether the series needs to do something to improve the competition.

Chip Ganassi, Palou's boss at Chip Ganassi Racing, referenced Caitlin Clark's record-breaking spree in the WNBA to shut such talk.

In her rookie year in the WNBA in 2024, Clark broke numerous all-time records. Her performances led the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, and she landed the Rookie of the Year award.

After Alex Palou's Indy 500 win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chip Ganassi was asked how he felt about people expecting his star driver to wrap up the 2025 championship at the earliest.

"You hear all kind of things. When there's a superstar that comes along in any sport and starts to win, people say, well, maybe we should change the way the championship is done or something. Do they say that about Caitlin Clark when she shows up and starts changing the WNBA? Do they say, well, let's change the rules around her, then, or something?" Ganassi questioned.

"I think they should embrace a champion like that. The guy is a great guy, and he's a great champion, and he's a great ambassador to the sport. They should embrace it."

Caitlin Clark was supposed to wave the green flag to kick off day two of Indy 500 qualifying on May 18, but she backed out because of a "scheduling conflict". The WNBA phenom was also speculated to attend the 2025 Indy 500, but those rumors didn't materialize either.

Alex Palou gets a rousing ovation from Indiana Pacers fans at Game 3 against Knicks

Alex Palou takes center stage at the New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers - Game Three - Source: Getty

After his Indy 500 win, Alex Palou got more than a warm welcome at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, less than five miles away from the IMS. The Indiana Pacers were playing Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks only a few hours after the Greatest Spectacle of Racing concluded.

"Hopefully, they let me go to the Pacers game. That's going to help some people in Indiana to know me," Palou said in the post-race press conference.

IndyCar officials helped the Spaniard get his post-race media commitments quickly done so that he could attend the game. He arrived courtside in a Tyrese Haliburton jersey, as he did at the 500 festival parade on Saturday. The 28-year-old also had his Indy 500 winner's wreath and the customary bottle of milk with him.

The crowd gave Alex Palou a deafening ovation as he was introduced during the second quarter. The three-time IndyCar champion soaked it all in from mid-court, with a spotlight on him.

Unfortunately for the home fans, the Pacers lost Game 3 with a scoreline of 106-100 in favor of the Knicks, who trail the seven-game series 1-2.

After only six races, Palou leads the championship by a whopping 112 points over Pato O'Ward, who finished P3 on the podium at the Indy 500.