WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark a special guest on NBC's broadcast of Knicks-Lakers
Caitlin Clark and Reggie Miller work the pre game show before the Los Angeles Lakers play against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The NBA returned to NBC for the first time since 2002 on Sunday night as the network carried the Knicks-Lakers game from the Garden in the first installment of “Basketball Night in America.”
On the pregame show, NBC had a star-studded panel that included a special guest in Caitlin Clark. In a conversation with host Maria Taylor and analysts Carmelo Anthony and Reggie Miller, the WNBA superstar said she had never attended a Knicks game at MSG.
“There’s just a different type of buzz,” the Indiana Fever guard said. “And obviously when LeBron [James] comes to town, it’s probably really different. But Knicks fans are crazy, and I love it. I love people that are passionate about basketball, so it’s pretty incredible.”
Clark noted that she has played in New York before — at Barclays Center, home of the Liberty. She said she’d love to play at the Garden someday.
“Even if it’s a preseason game,” she said. “We’ve got to get it done. I don’t think the Liberty will want to move a game over here, but we’ll play anybody. Could be fun.”
When Clark talks, the WNBA tends to listen, so perhaps there’s a chance. The league has a lot on its plate at the moment as a new collective bargaining agreement is being negotiated with the players’ union.
All league business has been suspended during the talks, which are set to continue on Monday. The season is scheduled to begin on May 8, and Clark expressed optimism that the talks will be fruitful.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s just a big moment for the WNBA,” she said. “I think all of women’s sports, I think this is one of the biggest moments we’ve ever had. I feel very confident that we’re going to get something done, and that’s because we’re in this moment because of the product we put on the floor.
“So we need to be able to continue to do that and I know everybody’s working really hard. There’s a meeting [Monday] that’s super-important, and I truly do believe we’re going to get something done here in the next couple weeks. But there’s a lot of boxes that we still need to check.
“We’ve added two new teams. I mean, there’s going to be more players than ever, and then we have to get into free agency and have a normal draft as well. So there’s a lot of things left to do, but I really do feel confident that both sides are going to reach a deal here.”
At the end of the segment, NBA touted that it will carry WNBA games beginning in May, assuming labor peace is achieved.
Clark also will be a special pregame guest when the Knicks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 29 on NBC.
On Sunday’s pregame show, she participated in a taped, modified game of H-O-R-S-E against former Knick and current NBC analyst Jamal Crawford. The two dueled to spell out N-B-C in a best-of-three format. After losing the first game, Clark won the next two.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
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