Because CC is like Steph Curry. Before Steph came along, nobody shot the three like he did with that volume and accuracy. He literally changed the way the NBA is played. people liked rooting for a little guy in a game of giants. At his peak he was hugely popular, and incredibly marketable to the general fanbase. He also did a good job of not being the typical NBA dumbfuck like Ja, Kyrie, etc... Just dont be dumb as fuck isnt a huge hurdle, but one that a lot of these dipshits can't clear.
https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-despite-his-157000000-followers-lebron-james-gets-eclipsed-by-stephen-curry-as-he-features-in-27-27-of-the-highest-rated-nba-games-over-past-8-years/
Same thing with CC. Nobody outside the pathetically small WNBA fan base gives a fuck about any of the other players you mentioned because it was always just more of the same style of boring ass layup/bounce-pass shitball. CC comes along doing things that had not been seen before. And like Curry, she takes care to craft her image in a way that is generally not controversial, so marketers were quick to jump on the hype train.
To me anyway, she is unique. She is the only player (white, black, tall, short, hot, ugly) that ever made me voluntarily watch a womens basketball game in its entirety. I didnt give a fuck who won or lost, I just wanted to see if she would go for 50. If she fails to continue that magic in the WNBA, this whole stupid "controversy" will disappear and the league can go back to flying Spirit Airlines once the CC "boost" fades away.