There has perhaps been no athlete in professional sports history who has elicited more jealousy from his or her peers than Caitlin Clark, and the results from the latest WNBA All-Star voting are further evidence of that.
The WNBA uses votes from fans, the media and players to determine its All-Star game rosters. Clark finished first among fan voting with a record 1,293,536 votes, which was not a surprise. The Indiana Fever star finished third among guards in the media voting behind only Allisha Gray and Sabrina Ionescu.
But Clark ranked ninth in player voting for guards. Clark’s peers only believe she has been the ninth-best guard in the WNBA this season, let alone overall player.
In fairness, Clark has missed seven of Indiana’s 16 games this season due to injury. She is not eligible for certain statistical categories because of the time she has missed. Clark has averaged 19.2 points per game, which would rank 11th in the WNBA if eligible. Her 8.4 assists per game would rank second.
Clark’s popularity is undeniable, which is why she received more fan votes than any player in WNBA history. That means there is a bias among fans, but it is obvious there is one among players, too.
Even with Clark missing time, it is absurd to say she is only the ninth-best player at her position in the WNBA. Teams cater their entire defensive strategy to stopping Clark. Based on player voting alone, Clark would not even be worthy of an All-Star selection.
Clark’s impact on the WNBA is obvious, especially when you look at the overall All-Star voting numbers. That does not mean her peers need to view her as the best player in the league, but it is hardly a coincidence that she ranked ninth among guards.
One basketball legend chalked the player voting up to jealousy.
Clark will still be a captain for the All-Star game by virtue of ranking first in fan voting. The fact that some of her peers don’t even believe she belongs in the game should serve as further motivation for the former Iowa star.
