WNBA players may have a point about Caitlin Clark

The WNBA star match heads for Indianapolis in a few weeks, and beginners of the big event were announced earlier in the week. The vote to choose the starters was weighted at 50% with fans votes, 25% with ballots in the media, years 25% with the players who make a ballot. In the end, Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark were appointed captains of the teams with the most fans votes.

Paige Bueckers, Nneka Ogwumike, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, Allisha Gray, Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston and Sutou.

As always, the complete distribution of the vote was published by the WNBA, but this year, a factor shocked the fans: Caitlin Clark was classified n ° 9 among the guards by his peers, the players.

However, despite the indignation of certain Clark fans online, the star of the fever ranking a little lower by the players is not a question of jealousy or resentment, because it is actually … makes sense for basketball reasons. Stay with me here!

First, players make these choices according to everyone’s performance This season. Not the potential of a player on paper, not their 2024 season, not their distinctions and records,, Or how much interest they bring to the WNBA. Quite simply how they played in the first 15 games of 2025.

When you contextualize it like that, some facts come to mind on the 2025 Clark season:

• So far, she has only played in nine games because she has entered and went out with an injury. First of all, it was the quad strain that prevented it for three weeks; Now she has gone out with a groin injury. It is only in the 29th League in the games played this season, according to his hoop statistics.
• Clark ranks 12th in the WNBA in points per game (18.2), 13th in goals on the field made (6.1 per match), 88th in percentage of three points (29.5%), 3rd in three points manufactured (2.6 per match), 35th in rebounds per game (5.0), 2nd in assists per game (8.9), 1st in figures (1.6).

The players most likely examined these statistics when they choose the stars. They also watch a ton of films just in their daily training, in order to learn the screening report on opponents and prepare for games. They are not going to have the same allegiances as fans have, and know these statistics and how much they affect the games than anyone.

Players do not hate Clark, and these votes are not proof of a large conspiracy against her; If anything, They respect it enough to classify it fairly Despite some of his difficulties. The plot that everyone has come out to get Clark, that everyone hates it, infantilizes it more. She can manage criticism of her game because, hopefully, it will make her better.

Constructive criticism and challenges are good things for anyone, whatever the type of career you have. Take writing, for example – if no one gives notes to writers, they can never know how to become better writers. It’s the same for players – how can they look at the statistics in which they rank below and adapt to their games to improve?

It is good that Clark did not succeed in his peak in his second professional season. We want her to improve. Imagine how fun it will be to look at? She also had a physically difficult season, because her body adapts to play more games in a shorter time. In college, they play once a week, if not less, and anyone should adapt to playing almost every two days. When you also add the amount of Clark to the ground, his body needs time to rest makes sense.

All that said, it is normal that it was classified n ° 9 among the guards. She is still a starter, she is still a captain, she will be in the match. She is a great player with great potential, but the votes of these players only concern the season she has at the moment.