Caitlin Clark and $422,685 Storm star earn spot on boxer Leanna Cruz's Mount Rushmore of female athletes

Indiana Fever vs Seattle Storm - Source: Getty
Caitlin Clark and $422,685 Storm star earn spot on boxer Leanna Cruz's Mount Rushmore of female athletes. [photo: Getty]

Caitlin Clark and other WNBA stars’ impact has transcended basketball. Athletes across different sports have noticed and recognized their popularity and influence on people. Some have included basketball players among the greatest of all time.

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On Monday, boxer Leanna Cruz opened up about her Mt. Rushmore of female athletes.

“Skylar Diggins. Claressa Shields. Caitlin Clark. Simone Biles.”
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Simone Biles is an Olympic legend and the most decorated gymnast in history. Having her on Cruz’s Mt. Rushmore was not surprising. Claressa Shields’ spot was almost guaranteed because of her boxing resume. Some consider her one of the greatest female boxers of all time. Like Biles, Shields thrived in the Olympics with two gold medals.

Skylar Diggins, who signed a two-year, $422K deal with the Seattle Storm in 2024, is a WNBA veteran playing her 11th season in the league. Diggins also won a 2020 Olympic gold medal with the USA women’s basketball team. There are other players with better resumes, but she is a legend in her own right.

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Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark did not win a championship in college and is still working on her first WNBA title. The Indiana Fever superstar has yet to even play in the Olympics. Although Clark’s career is new compared to the names on Leann Cruz’s list, the boxer has already recognized her greatness.

Clark does not have the hardware yet but her impact and influence are undeniable. She is the main reason the WNBA is hitting record highs in viewership and attendance. The point guard’s value is even more apparent in her absence as ticket sales and viewership have drastically dropped following a left quad injury.

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Caitlin Clark and Skylar Diggins will face each other for the first time this season in late June

Two names on the list of Leann Cruz’s Mt. Rushmore of female athletes will meet before this month ends. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will cap off a three-game West Coast swing with a showdown against Skylar Diggins’ Seattle Storm on June 24.

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Clark is out for at least two weeks following a left quad injury she suffered on May 24 against the New York Liberty. If her recovery goes as planned, she will return on June 10 in Atlanta. Assuming she stays healthy, she should be ready for the Fever’s visit to the Northwest to face Diggins and the Storm.

Considering their spots in Leann Cruz’s Mt. Rushmore of female athletes, it would not be surprising for the boxer to catch the Fever-Storm showdown.

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Edited by Michael Macasero
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