This week’s Potluck Podcast welcomes Christine Brennan, the USA Today national sports columnist who’s covered 20 Olympic Games, Super Bowls, Wimbledon—and is now behind the mic to tell us why Caitlin Clark isn’t just rewriting women’s basketball records but rewriting what it means to be a sports superstar in 2025.
She wrote a book about just that, and in warp speed.
Just under a year ago—on July 11, 2024—Christine Brennan got the call: Scribner wanted a Caitlin Clark book, sight-unseen. She cleared her calendar, dove into reporting, and in just four months turned that green light into a manuscript. Now, with the book officially releasing today, July 8, we’re delighted to have on the call.
Better yet, you can see her in person:
July 15 with Beaverdale Books
Where: Franklin Event Center, 4801 Franklin Ave., Des Moines
When: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: Tickets start at $35. Includes a copy of the book
Summary of Our Conversation with Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan is one of America’s most respected sports journalists — a longtime USA Today national sports columnist (since 1997), an Olympic veteran (she’s covered 20 Games), and a familiar voice on NPR, ABC News, CNN and PBS. Her work is defined by incisive reporting, clear-eyed commentary and a tireless advocacy for gender equity in sports.
The story behind the book
Her new release, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, came together almost overnight. In mid-July 2024, Scribner offered Christine a blind contract — no proposal, no sample chapters — simply on the strength of her journalistic reputation. What began as a rapid turnaround project quickly became a deep dive into how a standout college player from Iowa became a national phenomenon.
Why Caitlin Clark matters
An entertainer first. Brennan saw the “pink-jersey monster game” highlights and realized Caitlin isn’t just a star athlete, she’s a showstopper who has single-handedly turned casual sports fans into die-hard women’s basketball followers.
Breaking barriers. Men who never cared about women’s hoops are now wearing #22 jerseys at grocery stores and gas stations — an explosion in popularity Brennan likens to a Taylor Swift tour.
League unprepared. The WNBA’s leadership didn’t foresee the surge, leaving players and officials scrambling to manage record crowds, TV ratings and even new charter flights booked for Caitlin’s safety and security.
Behind the scenes reporting
Unauthorized but open. Christine chose to write an “unauthorized” book so she could ask anything, and she did — 40–50 questions in small press availabilities, plus exclusive practice access under a full press pass.
Zoom and phone sourcing. With just a few months to research, she conducted in-depth interviews via Zoom and phone with key figures: Iowa coach Lisa Bluder, Title IX pioneer Dr. Christine Grant (herself profiled in the book), Caitlin’s AAU coach Dixon Jensen, WNBA execs and more.
Key conversation highlights
Title IX then and now: As a teenager when Title IX passed, Brennan marvels that today’s young women can pursue sports as a career — and that Caitlin Clark understands her place in that history.
Pay equity realities: Rookie Caitlin made $76,000 last season, while the top NBA pick earned $57 million — yet Caitlin’s endorsement deals (Nike, State Farm, Gatorade) now top $30 million. The next CBA negotiation will be crucial.
Race and representation: Christine led a panel on “the Caitlin Clark effect” with four people of color, probing how much Clark’s journey was shaped by talent vs. the privileges of being a white athlete in a majority-white sport.
Substack Success Class
Did you participate in the first Story Summit Substack Success classes
and I co-facilitated recently? We are holding an advanced class later this month.Pre-requisite: Either having attended the first three workshops, or have an existing Substack column. We will go through a deeper dive on how to use the Substack tools. If you prefer a beginners class, stay tuned for a future class date.
The Worm is Almost Gone
The end of the Early Bird enrollment period for the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat comes to an end on July 15. Why not save $100? This is the fifth annual retreat, and each year has sold out. You want to come, so do it!
Or, do you feel as if you aren’t good enough to come? Read this:
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