Caitlin Clark is having one of the best seasons so far in her career in the WNBA, averaging 21.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, leading the league in assists per game. Indiana looks poised for the playoffs and currently occupies 4th place in the league standings with a 22-12 record. However, WNBA analyst Ben Daniel is not impressed, particularly with Clark’s teammates.

“Folks, you know, we wouldn’t even be having these MVP conversations if Caitlin Clark’s teammates finish around the rim at an efficient clip”, Daniel said on his podcast on August 14.

“Just an efficient clip. You don’t have to be perfect, but if I’m paying you six to seven figures, that’s the least I could ask for, right? We wouldn’t even be having these conversations. Olivia Miles, who? Paige Bueckers. Huh?.

“They would have trouble trying to give A’ja Wilson MVP if she’s averaging, let’s say, 26 and 10, something around there. Compared to Caitlin Clark averaging
21 and 12.”

Daniel is apparently not happy with the finishing displayed by Clark’s teammates in the game against the Wings.

“She couldn’t make it any easier for her teammates if she tried. She is literally handing them free baskets. She’s giving them free points. And these blown layups are sabotaging her MVP case.”

In the Dallas game, Indiana made 39 of their 74 field goals, modest by average standards, but apparently not enough for Daniel.

To back Clark’s candidacy as the MVP, Daniel cites Clark’s milestones for this season. Clark now has the most 20-point and 10-assist games in a single season in WNBA history, at 10. She also has the most 20-point, 10-assist games in WNBA history, period, with 20.

If this was not enough, in the game against the Dallas Wings on August 15, she became the fastest player to reach 700 career assists, faster than any WNBA player and any NBA player this century, in just 83 career games.

The Indiana guard also leads the WNBA in total points created, at 1,217, and points created per game, with 40.6, as per Hoops Junkie.

All season long, critics have pointed to Indiana’s performance on the defensive end. However, this criticism by Ben Daniel of the Fever’s offense stands as an outlier. While Indiana is the best team in the WNBA when it comes to scoring, averaging 96.3 points per game, as per ESPN, they also have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league, at 108.9, as per StatMuse.

So, while they score freely, they concede freely as well, something that reflects in their unwanted WNBA record of having the most losses in a season while scoring 100 or more points.

Only time will tell whether the Fever can live up to Daniel’s standards, as they take on the Atlanta Dream at the State Farm Arena.