A comment under a post is all it took to get the buzz going again. While fans were eagerly waiting for the 2026 regular season to tip off and see Caitlin Clark back in action after she used the preseason to find her rhythm, a controversial call from WNBA GMs has already started raising eyebrows. Still, when you’ve got LeBron James as your hype man, the noise doesn’t hit quite the same. It’s no longer about where Clark stands on the list; it’s about who’s backing her. If this support shifts perception, this ranking could end up redefining the debate altogether.

When Clark shared a series of media day and preseason photos on Instagram, and captioned it with – “Year 3!!! See you all soon ❤️‍🔥.” King James jumped into the comments with an emphatic: “LFG!!!!!!!! 💪🏾.”

James has always been a vocal supporter of Clark. Even before the start of her second season, James shared a photo of the two of them standing next to each other, and wrote, “Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!” That kind of backing says a lot, especially when the excitement around her return keeps building, yet the league seems to be looking at her a little differently.

CC has reciprocated her admiration towards LeBron James by calling him the greatest basketball player of all time quite frequently. She had made her thoughts known during last season by stating, “LeBron is the GOAT to me. He really does follow the WNBA. He watches and loves and appreciates basketball, and he loves and appreciates the way the Fever and my teammates play.” This really is a full-circle exchange as the respect runs both ways here.

In the 2026 WNBA GM Survey, Caitlin Clark didn’t hold the same ground she did a year ago, as her name finished second or completely fell out of the top three in several categories. For example, in the “Best Point Guard” category, Chelsea Gray claimed the top spot outright with 73% of the vote, while Clark dropped to second with just 20%. But just a year ago, the 24-year-old was right at the top, sharing that spot with Gray. So what changed between then and now?

A lot of it comes down to what happened in 2025. The Indiana Fever star’s season never really took off, as injuries limited her to just 13 games. Meanwhile, Gray stayed on the floor, played a full season, and averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 assists, leading her team to a championship. Still, that doesn’t completely silence the debate, because that’s not the only change.

In another major category – “Which player would you start a franchise with?” – Clark also lost ground as Paige Bueckers took the top spot with 33% of the votes, while Caitlin Clark tied for second with A’ja Wilson at 20%. That’s a significant swing, especially considering Clark led this exact category with 50% just a year ago. So why is this controversial?

Well, first of all, let’s clear that this doesn’t mean Caitlin Clark has fallen out of the league’s elite tier. But what this survey really highlights is just how quickly Bueckers’ stock has risen heading into her second season. Her case is pretty straightforward. She offers a complete package and is someone who can score, create, and seamlessly play both on and off the ball. Her style fits almost any system, which makes her an easy plug-and-play option for teams starting from scratch. Even though her team recorded one of their worst season in 2025 as they finished it with 10-34, Bueckers went on to average 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.

So if you ask a GM if they had to start fresh today, who would they pick? Right now, the answer leans toward Bueckers. Still, not everyone agreed with the outcome. Because as a rookie, Clark led the league in both total assists and assists per game, while also finishing in the top four in MVP voting. For many fans, that kind of production doesn’t suddenly lose value after an injury-shortened season.

Even analyst Rosalina Lee didn’t hold back while reacting to the rankings. “I’m just gonna say it straight out. The disrespect is just glaring… There is so much disregard for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in general in this league, and I don’t exactly understand it,” she said, pointing directly at the point guard rankings as the biggest issue. “Caitlin Clark not only broke the game assists… she broke the overall total assists record for the entire history of the WNBA. Even last season, with Caitlin Clark only playing 13 games, she averaged more assists per game than Chelsea Gray’s best year… She averaged 8.8 assists per game with 8.5 total in her two seasons, but she also did it while she was powering through injuries. Imagine what would have happened if she wasn’t injured,” Lee further added.

However, things only get more interesting from here.

GM Survey Adds More Fuel to Caitlin Clark’s Rivalry

The rivalry between Clark and Angel Reese is one of the most talked-about aspects of the WNBA, and the next chapter of it already has a date.

They are set to face off on June 4, when the Indiana Fever hosts the Atlanta Dream. It will be their first meeting of the season, but this time, the stakes are a little different. While Caitlin Clark is coming into the season fully healthy after an injury-hit 2025, the latest survey has painted a surprising picture of where both players and their teams stand heading into the year.

When general managers were asked who they believed would win the WNBA Finals, the Las Vegas Aces led the way with 40% of the votes, followed by the New York Liberty at 33%. But the only other team to receive the votes? The Dream, with 27%. Clark and the Fever didn’t receive a single vote. So if those predictions play out, it would mean Reese reaches the Finals and potentially wins a championship before Clark. And that’s where this rivalry starts to take on a completely new layer.

So when June 4 arrives, the game won’t just be about winning or losing; it will be a test for Clark to prove that she has what it takes to lead her team to a championship. It’ll be a clash shaped by perception, momentum, and a growing debate about who’s truly ahead right now. Who are you betting on?