Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar does not believe Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA, despite her impact. Clark’s effect on TV ratings, attendance, and attention has led many to call her the next face of the league, but Jabbar has another name in mind – Las Vegas Aces center and W veteran A’ja Wilson. With the debate about the face of the W becoming a big talking point this season, voices are joining both sides of the debate, and Abdul-Jabbar recently found backing from a popular WNBA analyst.

Speaking on her Hoops for Hotties show, WNBA analyst Mariah Rose has now entered the conversation, siding with Abdul-Jabbar while making the case for Wilson.

“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came out and disagreed, saying that naming [Caitlin Clark] the face of the WNBA discredits all of the amazing players who have come before her,” she said. “Completely agree with that. I mean, this is a Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and champion all in the same season. Obviously, A’ja Wilson is the face of the WNBA to me. But honestly, with this whole face of the blank conversation, I kind of feel like this debate is silly because your face of whatever sport you love is whoever you think it is.”

Rose’s opinion aligns with that of Abdul-Jabbar, who believes that while Caitlin Clark is one of the better WNBA players, she does not have enough experience in the league to be named its face. Rose and the six-time NBA champion agree that veteran players, who have spent years adding feathers to their caps, deserve more recognition in this matter. But Rose is not blind to why Clark is at the center of the debate.

The newly coined phrase ‘the Caitlin Clark Effect’ took the league by storm when the University of Iowa star made her way to the W. A 2024 report by the BBC stated that the average price of a women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship ticket soared to twice as much as the men’s tickets, rising as far as $11,000. WCNC Charlotte, back in May 2025, reported that ticket prices spike up to 140% when the Indiana Fever visit other cities to play. The bottom line is, people want to watch Clark play. But while she may boost the league’s economy and draw the crowds, this is not enough for Rose and Abdul-Jabbar.

Another factor in favour of Clark is reported government backing. After Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas were involved in an on-court altercation on June 24 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, members of Congress took action. The sequence saw Clark getting hit in her throat, and Thomas avoided being called for a foul, with the WNBA eventually suspending her for one game. The incident inspired several members of Congress to send a letter to commissioner Cathy Engelbert to explain how they handle excessively physical play, referring to Clark as the “face of the league” in the letter. Kareem wasn’t happy with that terminology, and believes veterans like Wilson deserve more respect on their name.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says A’ja Wilson’s résumé deserves greater recognition

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar publicly questioned Clark being named the face of the WNBA on his Substack, where he expressed that while Clark is a good player, he felt placing her above veteran stars this early in her career was doing a disservice to them.

“My first reaction to this letter was to check the calendar and make sure it wasn’t April Fools’ Day. Eleven members of Congress wrote a letter calling Caitlin Clark ‘the face of your league…Don’t get me wrong: Clark is a very good, possibly even a great, player. But calling any one player the face of the league, absent the sort of on-court and cross-platform dominance of a Michael Jordan or a LeBron James, is an insult to an awful lot of great players.”

Like Rose, Abdul-Jabbar pinpointed A’ja Wilson as one of the more prominent figures in the sport today, with three championships in four years and four league MVPS. In fact, Wilson just won the award for Best Athlete in Women’s sports at the 2026 ESPYS, which marked her second time winning the award.

Just this past year, Wilson became the first player in league history to earn MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP honors in the same season, all while clinching the WNBA championship as well. Statistically, too, Wilson bests Clark. The three-time WNBA champion averaged 25.6 points in 2025 along with 9.6 rebounds. Clark, on the other hand, averaged her career-high of 20.7 points per game with 3.9 rebounds.

Even apart from Wilson, several established superstars in the league have already established themselves as future Hall of Famers like Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Abdul-Jabbar believes such players deserve more recognition.

Whether fans prioritize championships, individual dominance, or influence outside of basketball, the answer might simply lie in the eyes of the beholder, and that’s likely why the conversation has shown no signs of slowing down.