During one of Friday’s game broadcasts, WNBA on ION showcased its top five players in the league’s MVP race this season. With A’ja Wilson leading the way, the list also featured Kelsey Mitchell, Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, and Breanna Stewart. Now, there is no denying that every player on that list has put together an MVP-caliber season so far. However, fans pointed out that despite being one of the league’s top scorers, Caitlin Clark was nowhere to be found.
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“@IONWNBA what does Caitlin have to do? @WNBA,” one fan wrote under a post shared by Brick Center. While another added, “What does she have to do? Lead league in both assists AND points?”
Wilson leading the race doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. She leads the league in scoring with 26.2 points per game, remains one of the WNBA’s premier rim protectors, and owns a 33.1% usage rate. But for many fans, the bigger question was why Clark wasn’t even considered among the top five.
Across 24 games this season, Caitlin Clark is averaging 21.5 points per game, which places her at third in the WNBA in scoring. She is also averaging 7.9 assists per game, the second-highest mark in the league behind only Alyssa Thomas (8.3). Based on those numbers, many believe she has a stronger MVP case than both Olivia Miles and Paige Bueckers.
“Caitlin Clark is the only player that’s top five in both these categories, and they don’t want to list her as an MVP candidate,” another fan wrote while pointing to the league’s scoring and assists leaders. While one more fan added, “Caitlin gotta go somewhere else so they can finally shut this dumpster fire league down.”
Clark being left off the Top 5 list, however, isn’t without some statistical justification.
While she ranks among the league leaders in assists, her aggressive playmaking style also comes with a high-risk, high-reward approach. And that has left her leading the WNBA in turnovers. She is averaging 4.7 TOs per game (1.2 more than the next-highest player).
But even so, fans believe her positives should outweigh that weakness.
“She’s good, and they hate it,” another fan wrote.
With the second half of the 2026 WNBA season now underway, the MVP race is only expected to become more competitive. So it’s worth noting that the list shown during the broadcast is far from an official MVP ballot. Different outlets have evaluated the race differently throughout the season. FanDuel, for example, currently lists Caitlin Clark fourth in its MVP odds at +1300.
Whether Clark eventually climbs into every outlet’s top-five MVP rankings remains to be seen. Right now, she sits fourth in the points-per-game standings, tied with New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart. With the second half of the season underway, she’ll have plenty of time to catch her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell (23.5), and Aces star A’Ja Wilson (26.5).