Fans Upset… Say the Artwork “Doesn’t Even Look Like Her”
Caitlin Clark has reached yet another milestone in her already historic basketball career, becoming the first WNBA player to appear by herself on a global NBA 2K cover. The Indiana Fever superstar was unveiled as the cover athlete for the NBA 2K27 Deluxe Edition, while San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama headlines the standard edition and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose appears on the Ultra Edition.
For Clark, the honor is another sign that she has become one of the biggest stars in all of basketball, regardless of gender. In announcing the cover, Clark said she was proud that women’s basketball would be showcased on such a massive global stage.
The Internet is in an Uproar Over the Clark Photo
Instead of celebrating the accomplishment, however, much of the internet immediately focused on one thing: many fans believe the cover art barely resembles Caitlin Clark. Within minutes of the reveal, social media platforms including X, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook filled with comments questioning the artwork.
The most common complaint was simple: “That doesn’t look like Caitlin Clark.” Others joked that the image looked like an entirely different person, while many speculated that 2K relied heavily on artificial intelligence or an over-processed digital rendering instead of using a faithful likeness of one of the most recognizable athletes in America. While there is no evidence that AI was used to create the artwork, the accusations spread quickly across social media.
Several themes emerged from the online criticism. Many fans argued the facial structure was noticeably different from Clark’s real appearance. Others believed her complexion had been darkened compared to how she typically looks in photographs, while some said the artwork lacked her recognizable facial features and expression.
A number of commenters wondered how a multi-billion-dollar video game publisher could fail to accurately capture one of the most photographed athletes in the world. On Reddit, even users who were thrilled Clark landed the cover admitted the artwork looked “off,” with many describing the image as having an unusual filter or stylized effect that made it difficult to recognize her immediately.
Despite the controversy surrounding the artwork, Clark’s selection is historically significant. Previous WNBA stars including Diana Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and Angel Reese have appeared on WNBA-themed versions of NBA 2K, but Clark becomes the first female player to receive a solo global cover on one of the franchise’s primary editions. It represents another example of her enormous commercial influence, which has transformed television ratings, ticket sales, merchandise revenue, and sponsorship opportunities across women’s basketball.
In Case You Didn’t Know How Caitlin Clark Is
Clark’s professional career has largely lived up to the extraordinary expectations that followed her from the University of Iowa. After becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most recognizable athletes in college sports history, she was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Her arrival immediately changed the economics of the league, with Fever games selling out across the country, television ratings reaching record highs, and opposing teams moving games into larger NBA arenas to accommodate demand.
On the court, Clark quickly established herself as one of the league’s premier playmakers and long-range shooters. Her ability to consistently hit shots from well beyond the three-point line, combined with elite court vision and passing ability, has drawn frequent comparisons to NBA stars Stephen Curry and Steve Nash.
She has already broken numerous rookie and league records, earned All-Star honors, helped return the Fever to playoff contention, and has become the face of a new era for the WNBA. Even with injuries interrupting portions of the 2026 season, Clark has continued to post elite numbers while leading one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses.
****Editor’s Note*****
At the end of the day, fans simply just hate the artwork. But it is still a big announcement, and a true accolade for Clark. One that no other woman has ever had before on the global roll-out. To be honest, the controversy may have generated even more attention for NBA 2K27 than a traditional cover reveal would have received.
The overwhelming consensus online is that Caitlin Clark absolutely deserved the honor. The only real disagreement is whether the artist actually managed to capture what she looks like. Based on thousands of reactions across social media, many basketball fans believe the answer is no. They darkened her. Clark is extremely “fair-skinned” pigment wise. Her eyes are droopier in the photo. They over “muscled” her with a long vein going down her bicep, which is a male characteristic that females hardly ever have.
There are always reasons for why photos are doctored. We may never know why they “doctored” this photo, but they clearly did, and that is undeniable. It makes me wonder if they could have made her gay for the photo as well, since she is straight and they probably don’t like that either.
