Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will be featured on the deluxe edition cover of the NBA 2K27 video game, marking a significant moment as the first WNBA player to appear on a global NBA 2K cover. However, the announcement has been met with online discussion regarding Clark's appearance on the cover art.
Many fans have expressed that the digital rendering of Clark does not accurately resemble her, leading to accusations that the game's creators utilized artificial intelligence in its creation. Sports business journalist Darren Rovell commented on the situation, stating on X, "Weird to put someone else’s face on her. They don’t do that for NBA cover athletes." Another user on the platform posted, "Idk who that is but it’s certainly not Caitlin Clark."
Clark's inclusion on the NBA 2K27 cover represents a continued step towards greater visibility for female athletes in prominent sports video games. In the previous year, Angel Reese was featured on the WNBA-specific NBA 2K26 game. Other notable WNBA players, including Diana Taurasi, A'ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, have previously graced the WNBA edition covers.
NBA 2K27 is scheduled for worldwide release on September 4. The game will also feature Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on the standard edition cover and former Bulls player Derrick Rose on the ultra version. The absence of a WNBA-specific edition this year has led to speculation that 2K is foregoing that version to feature Clark prominently on the main NBA deluxe edition.
As of the announcement, 2K has not issued a statement addressing the online commentary concerning Clark's cover image.