I appreciate the nuance in your opinion, but there is a difference between popularity, appeal and being the face of the league.
Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in the WNBA, and the biggest draw. She’s not the face because she’s not creating a new standard for winning (yet). She does not have accomplishments that people want to take (yet).
What team is everyone trying to beat? The Aces. What player is everyone trying to match? A’ja Wilson.
The standard for winning is A’ja. Michael Jordan became the face of the NBA because he became the standard by which every player is measured. Everyone wanted to stop him. Caitlin isn’t there.