When it comes to records, it is only natural that Caitlin Clark’s name would be among the first to come to mind in the WNBA right now. In three seasons in the league, she has broken quite a number of them, and a notable portion of those are scoring records. However, the record for the most points scored in a single WNBA game does not currently belong to Clark, and it seems like most stars don’t think she’s going to break that record, something WNBA analyst Ben Daniel can’t get his head around.
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That mark belongs to Aces star A’ja Wilson, and this season, Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey equalled it, also scoring 53 points. But for Daniel, if any active player can break that record, Clark is firmly in that conversation. That is exactly why it didn’t sit well with him when none of the WNBA players asked the question that actually named Clark as a candidate. In his view, the omission was not accidental, but a result of fear.
“I’m telling you, these players are scared. They’re scared of being attacked for saying, ‘Oh, Caitlin Clark, she could break it,'” Daniel said on The Ben Daniel Podcast, reacting to a video of WNBA players answering the question of who is most likely to break the record. “They’re scared for saying that they think Caitlin Clark could do it; they live in fear.
“They come into this league, and they’re instantly fearful for their safety. That’s why they refuse to name Caitlin Clark. They’re just scared to say her name. They’re fearful for their safety. I understand,” Daniel continued.
The most predominant answers from the players were the current record holders themselves. Paige Bueckers went with Napheesa Collier or A’ja Wilson. Napheesa herself opted for Mabrey. Gabriela Jaquez chose Wilson. And several others stayed within the Mabrey-Wilson orbit without venturing elsewhere.
Some noticeably different picks, however, came from Lauren Betts, who tipped Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles, a selection Daniel found particularly puzzling. Rhyne Howard, meanwhile, cast a wider net, naming A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Marina Mabrey, and Paige Bueckers, before also floating herself as a potential candidate.
Not a single player named Caitlin Clark. Daniel’s theory for the collective omission was twofold: either the players are genuinely too fearful of the social backlash that would follow naming Clark, or the video’s editors cut out footage of players who did tip her for the record. Both possibilities, in his view, would be equally telling.
To a significant extent, Daniel’s frustration feels understandable. Because judging strictly by the statistics Clark has produced and the kind of scorer she is, she absolutely belongs in that conversation. She dropped multiple 40+ point games during her legendary college career at Iowa. In fact, she recently scored a new WNBA career-high of 45 points, and she did it in just 29 minutes against the Seattle Storm.
If anything, that is quite as emphatic a reminder as any that a 53-point game is not beyond the realm of possibility for a player of her profile. So whether they say her name out loud or not, the argument makes itself.