Ever since the arrival of Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever has been first in a lot of ways. First playoff spot since 2016, first in viewership, first W’s Commissioner’s Cup, and first in All-Star votes as per the fans. That’s why even fellow players perceive CC as a strong contender. As Napheesa Collier recently said, “Caitlin has a lot of gravity—she’s an amazing player.” But, wait! Did that reflect in the All-Star voting? Not really!

It all came to light as the Indiana Fever superstar received a record 1,293,526 fan votes for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. So, while fans agreed on her greatness, her fellow players didn’t – and that’s why she finished ninth among W’s guards in the players’ voting. According to the rules, fan votes account for 50%, whereas media and fellow players get 25% each. And yes, she will still be serving as a team captain for the July 19th event that will take place at her home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That role is determined solely by fan votes.

But that is not enough for fans. So, when CC came to the sidelines for the Commissioner’s Cup Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, they showed up prepared. Fans held up boards cheering for their Indiana Fever star, and the standout among them was this one girl who held a sign that read, “9th in your rankings, but 1st in your nightmares.”

And yes, within minutes, the girl and her sign went viral on social media. After all, everything that the board said rang true in one way or another. Why wouldn’t it? Caitlin Clark shattered over 19 records in her rookie year alone. Sure, that was last season – what about now, you might ask? Well, she’s even better. Her sophomore year may have been riddled with setbacks – injuries, cold shooting stretches – but despite playing only nine games so far, she’s still averaging 18.2 points and 8.9 assists per game. So it’s easy to understand why fans are frustrated with the players’ decision to rank Clark ninth. Yet, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White isn’t really too concerned about all this.

“I don’t really care about it,” she said. “One of my things and we talk about this all the time – we control the things that we can control, and we keep the main thing the main thing. All-Star is amazing and it’s such an incredible honor, and we’re excited that it’s in Indy.”

But is staying calm really enough? Especially when Clark’s teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who’s averaging the same 18.2 points with fewer assists (2.9) and rebounds (1.9), has ranked higher (6th) in player votes, despite having lower fan and media rankings. So while the other three guard starters, Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, and rookie Paige Bueckers, bring strong resumés too, Mitchell remains a standout. But yes, it’s not just CC who got lower players’ votes, as her teammate Aliyah Boston also experienced a notable gap between fan and player votes. While Boston ranked second in fan voting for forwards, she finished just ninth among players.

And it all comes up when there were six starter spots available for forwards as compared to four for guards. “I’m proud of her. She’s put in the work,” White said of Boston. “She’s playing outstanding basketball. I think it’s a great honor for her to be named a starter.” So you see why fans feel WNBA players might be biased. But were they??

Caitlin Clark is more than an All-Star 

When All-Star voting begins, each WNBA player receives one ballot on which they can vote for up to four guards and six frontcourt players. So, this doesn’t mean that anyone explicitly wrote Caitlin Clark is the league’s ninth-best guard; rather, it means she didn’t appear in enough players’ top four choices, resulting in her cumulative score ranking ninth overall.

Still, some people have taken the results of the player vote as further evidence of the ongoing narrative that many W’s players are jealous of CC and the credit she often receives for the league’s massive surge in popularity over the last two seasons. “Absolutely PURE JEALOUSY that ⁦@WNBA players voted Caitlin Clark the 9th best guard,” basketball announcer Dick Vitale wrote on X.

And maybe that’s true, considering how often Clark has been targeted by the league’s physical style of play. Just look at the numbers – she’s accounted for 17% of all Flagrant 1 fouls drawn during her rookie year. Even when she received recognition last year for her efforts, several WNBA players came forward to say she’s not the face of the league.

“Someday they will realize what she has done for ALL of the players in the WNBA — chartered planes, increased salaries, sold-out crowds, improved TV ratings,” Vitale added in another post. “No doubt she is THE BEST thing to happen to the WNBA.” And he’s not wrong at all here. Ever since CC’s arrival, the hike in viewership, ticket sales, and league visibility has been clear.