By NBA Insider | February 3, 2026
Madison Square Garden is always the center of the basketball universe when the Los Angeles Lakers roll into town to face the New York Knicks. But on Sunday night, the biggest star in the building wasn’t even on the active roster.
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark stepped into a new arena this weekend, making her highly anticipated broadcasting debut on NBC’s Basketball Night in America. While fans were eager to hear Clark’s basketball genius from the broadcast booth, one legendary Laker had a different idea: Why not just put her in the game?
Two-time NBA champion and former Laker Mychal Thompson took to social media before tip-off to jokingly pitch the Lakers on signing the WNBA phenom to a 10-day contract. The proposal instantly went viral, sparking laughs and a surprising amount of debate among basketball fans.
Here is a breakdown of Thompson’s pitch, why the basketball fit is actually flawless, and what to expect from Clark’s new media venture.
The “Perfect Fit” Next to Luka Dončić
With the Lakers navigating a critical point in their 2025-26 season, they need elite floor spacing around their franchise superstar, Luka Dončić. Enter Caitlin Clark.
Mychal Thompson playfully pointed out that Clark was already in the building, making her a convenient—and lethal—addition to the Los Angeles rotation.
“Caitlin Clark’s gonna be at our (Laker) game tonight… Hmmmm… Ya no since she’ll be there maybe we (Lakers) can sign her to a 10 day contract,” Thompson tweeted. “All we (Lakers) need is for her to shoot corner 3s… Luka’d set her up for them…”.
While purely a joke, Thompson isn’t wrong about the basketball fit. Since being drafted into the WNBA in 2024, Clark has been a scoring machine, averaging 18.5 points per game and earning two All-Star selections. Shooting 3-pointers is effectively a layup for Clark, who shot a blistering 40.6% from beyond the arc during her freshman year at Iowa, and boasts a 37.7% college career average from deep.
Through her first two professional seasons, Clark has hit 32.9% of her deep shots against the best defenders in the world. With Dončić’s legendary ability to draw double-teams and kick out to open shooters, Clark would be the ultimate secret weapon sitting in the corner.
A New Chapter in the Booth
While Clark won’t be lacing up her sneakers for Los Angeles, she is still making history at Madison Square Garden. Her appearance on NBC’s Basketball Night in America marks a major crossover event for the WNBA’s biggest face.
NBC broadcaster Zena Keita recently weighed in on the No Offseason podcast about what fans can expect from Clark as an analyst.
“One thing we can absolutely expect is way better basketball insight than anything I could provide,” Keita praised. “Caitlin Clark’s going to be able to provide some really good insight because she played at the high level, and she’s playing at the high level”.
However, Keita noted that transitioning from the court to the panel has its challenges. Being a great interview subject is entirely different than driving a broadcast. Keita pointed out that Clark will need to be “versatile” and “succinct” while learning how to play off of other veteran analysts in real-time.
Despite the learning curve, Keita remains confident that the 24-year-old phenom will thrive under the bright lights of MSG, just as she does on the court.
The Verdict
Caitlin Clark has conquered the college game, she has conquered the WNBA, and now she is ready to conquer sports media. While we won’t get to see the dream duo of Clark and Luka Dončić launching step-back threes in Madison Square Garden, her presence alone proves just how large her “gravitational pull” really is in the sports world.
