Over the last two years, ‘face of the WNBA’ has largely called for one answer– Caitlin Clark. Rashad McCants even went so far as to call her the face of the NBA. He doubled down when she returned for year 2, and the pre-season ticket prices soared to unprecedented numbers. But when you count in various factors, the debate’s still open. Personality? Contribution? Performance? There is plenty to consider. And when you have players like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, or Sabrina Ionescu, it only grows thicker. But ESPN’s Kendra Andrews had an interesting combination for the case.

One of the biggest names in the W right now is Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier. The UConn superstar, who won Defensive Player of the Year last season, is currently the prime contender to win MVP after narrowly missing out to A’ja Wilson last year. The 1,176,020 votes for All-Star said even more. So, naturally, when we have the face of the league discussion, how can she be missing from the discussion?

On the Women’s Hoops Show hosted by Jordan Robinson, Andrews was asked whether Napheesa Collier is a legitimate contender to be the face of the league, or if her not being a trash talker discredits her position. “I don’t think so because I think faces of the league… have to have a certain personality, but you don’t have to have this alter ego,” she started. Her case in point? Stephen Curry.

“I would not say that Steph has this. There are moments on the court where he gets extremely fired up, and you kind of take note and think, ‘Oh, well, if Steph’s going crazy, you know what I mean?’ And I see Napheesa in that same light, where she isn’t the trash-talker. She isn’t controversial in that sense of the word, but I don’t think that you have to be,” she started.

Both superstars are, without a doubt, among the best players in their respective leagues, but they let their work do the talking instead of trash-talking their opponents. For both Steph and Phee, their skills have always been the loudest voice on the court.

To date, Curry remains the only unanimous MVP in NBA history– and his coach (Steve Kerr) firmly believes he’s the greatest ever. “It’s different; the way he impacts the game is different. When you have these conversations about ‘Who’s the greatest ever?’ you automatically go to these genetic marvels — you know, LeBron, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and whoever else. Steph doesn’t fit that normal mold.” However, it isn’t just about the game, according to Andrews.

It is about the way players carry themselves. Like A’ja Wilson brings out her goofiness and Sabrina remains even-keeled. What’s setting Phee apart is taking the business woman approach. Her efforts in building Unrivaled and being one of the loudest voices for CBA negations– the Lynx icon is leading from the front. Collier is not only the Vice President of the WNBPA, but her league, has also become another source of income for women’s basketball players. The average salary, reportedly, is over $200,000, which is comfortably more than the $102,000 per year average salary in the W.

“Phee has built has helped with her version of the face of the league,” Andrews adds. “Look how much she has done for women’s basketball. And I think that in itself can say, oh, like, you represent the WNBA and women’s basketball in a very specific way.”

If that wasn’t enough, Collier is dominating on the court, too. She’s averaging a league-high 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while leading the Lynx to a 27-5 record, the best in the league. So the case has been strong for Phee. But Sue Bird has her own standards for the debate.

Sue Bird gives her judgement on becoming the face of the league

Yes, Caitlin Clark’s helped put the sport we all love on the global map, and the W is currently one of the fastest-growing leagues in the world thanks to her impact. But there’s still one big thing missing from her otherwise stellar resume, which is the very reason some people hesitate to include her in these conversations. And that’s exactly what Sue Bird highlights as well.

On her Bird’s Eye View podcast, Sue Bird revealed the real metric she uses to judge a face of the league. She said, “She’s (Caitlin Clark) already breaking records left and right… the way this kid fills a box score is unprecedented. I think what we all want to see from her is that translating into championships—because ultimately, for me anyway, that’s how you get judged.” 

Yes, so far in her career, Caitlin hasn’t had the opportunity to win a championship, whether in her college career or professionally. But time is on her side. The Fever’s front office is clearly working to help her chase that dream, and the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup is only the start. She’ll have plenty more to celebrate in the years ahead! Napheesa Collier, on the other hand, seems to be rather close.