As the 2026 FIBA World Cup enters the semifinals stage, the official FIBA website decided to put out another list of the MVP race leaders, and all fans are asking about one missing name. While Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese all feature in the top ten candidates list for MVP honors, fans were left questioning why Team USA’s top scorer is not in the running.
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The official FIBA handle on X posted a list of the top ten candidates for the tournament MVP honors, with Gabby Williams leading the list. Steward was placed second, while Clark came in at fifth. Bueckers and Reese held the eighth and tenth positions, respectively. But Jackie Young was nowhere to be found.
While all the American players on the list have made significant contributions to Team USA’s clean, 4-0 run so far in the 2026 FIBA World Cup, none have contributed as much offensively as Jackie Young. Young has been the primary offensive weapon in Team USA’s arsenal, averaging 11 points per game.
In the past four games, she has scored a total of 44 points, beating out the likes of Stewart and Napheesa Collier in total points scored. While she has not scored the highest points in every game, her consistent high production is what makes fans question her absence on the MVP leaderboard.
Young’s performance during the 2026 FIBA qualifying round was also commendable. She averaged 7.6 points over five games, along with recording 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, putting up an efficiency score of 9.8.
Young is also the first USA player to appear on the list of top scorers in the World Cup so far, closely followed by Collier. Young comes in at No. 37, which is way below the league leader, Belgian star Emma Meesseman. But she is still leading Team USA, which begs the question: why are other members of the team on the list before Young?
Breanna Stewart is the floor general for Team USA. She leads the team in efficiency (15.8), rebounds (7.0), and ranks third in scoring, with 9.8 points. Angel Reese, in turn, makes her own case for being on the list. The WNBA rebounds leader (12.4) is second on the Team USA roster for the same stat, with six, right behind Stewart. She is also third in efficiency, behind Stewart and Bueckers. While all three make solid cases for being on the list, one name fans seem to have an issue with is Caitlin Clark.
One clearly disgruntled fan pointed this out, writing, “How the f*** is CC in top 5 and there is no Jackie Young? Who even makes these lists?”
Another fan echoed this sentiment, writing, “Having Clark so high and no Jackie young is diabolical.”
Clark’s performance against Italy during the group stage seems to be fresh in everyone’s memory still. The Indiana Fever star guard recorded possibly her worst shooting performance ever on September 6. As Team USA recorded their closest win yet, Clark shot 0-for-6, including 0-for-3 from the field and 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. The only point she was able to score was from the free-throw line, where she went 1-for-2.
While Clark does still lead Team USA in assists, with 7.0 per game, her performance against Italy seems to have overshadowed it. While Breanna Stewart addressed the Italy game after Team USA’s next win over Czechia, saying they have learnt from their mistakes, Clark’s performance made headlines. Her subpar shooting display was not what fans were expecting from the third-best scorer in the 2026 WNBA season, and this is reflected in their comments.
All fans seem to be asking the same question: where is Jackie Young?
One fan wrote this almost verbatim, asking, “Where’s Jackie Young’s name? Where’s Rhyne Howard? This is how you know it’s about biases and politics. #FIBAWWC”
Another fan, who believes Young should be at the top of the list, wrote, “Where is Jackie young??? She has been #1 since voting started.”
One fan gave a final verdict on the MVP standings, writing, “The MVP is Jackie Young. Case closed,” while another disagreed with the MVP ranking completely, writing, “Jackie Young is the correct answer. “
As Team USA moves on to face Spain in what is expected to be a great matchup, the fans will look forward to seeing Jackie Young further strengthen her case for Tournament MVP. Team USA is undefeated so far, as they look to add another gold to their existing 11 FIBA World Cup gold medals.