Caitlin Clark has given the WNBA world plenty to think about since returning from the All-Star Break, producing at a high level while cementing herself as an MVP candidate. Unfortunately, according to one WNBA analyst, she still faces a significant objective.
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Analyst and Fever reporter Robin Lundberg recently live-streamed himself talking about a variety of topics, and among them was a discussion of Clark’s MVP chances, and Lundberg didn’t hold back.
“[Clark] certainly looks like the best player in the world to me,” he said during the livestream. “Now, does that mean she’s going to win the MVP? It’s a tall task.”
He continued, “I think Caitlin Clark has to make it so any voter looks like a complete idiot for not voting for her in order to win the MVP. And A’ja Wilson did and has had yet another tremendous MVP-caliber season. She remains the frontrunner.”
Lundberg did, however, make it clear that he thinks Clark has clearly been the best player in the league since the All-Star break, and she does have a clear case. Since the break, she has averaged a monstrous 25.1 points per game on 48.9% from the field and 41.8% from three. On top of that, she has also added 3.9 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, functioning as the team’s clear offensive engine and table setter.
Lundberg also pointed out how she has made strides to improve her play, listing mid-range shooting, finishing around the rim through contact, and off-ball scoring as particular areas of focus.
“She’s generating more points than any player ever has before,” he added. “She already did that in her rookie season, but is doing it more now. I mean, there’s just nothing you can do. And when you watch Caitlyn Clark play right now, how do you not say she’s the best player in the world at this moment?”
Unfortunately for Clark, A’ja Wilson has made her own case as the best player in the league. Apart from being one of the game’s best scorers inside the arc, she is also a favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and her latest move away from Team USA with Kelsey Plum could spell doom for other MVP candidates, including Clark.
According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, a source reported that Wilson had been playing with an injury and “has not been 100% for some time,” and that the FIBA schedule could worsen her health. Over the last week, she was listed on the injury report with a back issue, but played every game, including a 30-minute outing on August 28.
Sitting out the tournament gives her a chance to fully recover, which means her already formidable play could improve even further. Wilson has the chance to do something unprecedented this season: winning her fifth MVP will give the star her third consecutive award, a first in league history.
This season, Wilson has logged 26 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, adding 1.4 steals and two blocks per game on the defensive end. To top it off, she averages a massive 32 minutes a night, putting a huge strain on her body. Despite that, according to stat-tracking website databallr.com, she leads the league in both Offensive and Defensive VPM (+5.3 and +2.4 each), which means that per 100 possessions, she has the highest net impact on scoring margin of any player.
Clark, meanwhile, ranks eighth in the statistic, including a -0.7 Defensive VPM, which means she has a negative impact on the defensive end.
Regardless, Lundberg clearly thinks Clark looks like the best player in the league, but being the best and winning MVP are two different things. With Wilson still leading the race, Clark might need to level up one more time as the season wraps up to run a compelling case for MVP into an undeniable one.