Caitlin Clark dropped 19 WNBA MVP votes despite historic season as A’ja Wilson takes fifth award

Caitlin Clark received a first-place vote for WNBA MVP after producing a season that no one in the league had managed before.

And that might not even be the most ridiculous part of the results. Nineteen voters did not include it on their ballot.

Caitlin Clark received just one first-place vote for WNBA MVP despite having a historic season, while 19 voters left the Indiana Fever star off their ballot entirely. (Getty Images)

The WNBA announced Thursday that A’ja Wilson won her record fifth MVP award, receiving 65 of 74 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota freshman Olivia Miles finished second, followed by Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and Clark.

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Clark appeared on 55 ballots, receiving one first-place vote, six second-place votes, 20 third-place votes, 16 fourth-place votes, and 12 fifth-place votes. She finished with 212 points, well behind Miles’ 442 and Mitchell’s 287.

Wilson had an exceptional season and a strong case to win. But apparently, more than a quarter of voters looked at Clark this year and decided that five other players deserved recognition before her.

I would like to hear these explanations.

Caitlin Clark’s historic season deserved more consideration

Clark averaged 22.3 points and 8.3 assists per game, becoming the first WNBA player to finish a season averaging at least 20 points and eight assists.

By combining her own baskets and free throws with her teammates’ points scored through her assists, Clark created an average of 41.2 points per game. According to the WNBA’s end-of-season report, this is the highest average in league history.

This is a useful place to start a conversation about offensive value, especially when her teammate finished ahead of her in the MVP voting. There are compelling arguments that Mitchell benefited from Clark far more than the other way around.

After all, Mitchell just completed her ninth WNBA season. In his six years with Indiana before Clark arrived, Mitchell averaged 16.4 points per game. In the three seasons since Fever drafted Clark, Mitchell has averaged 21.4 points, including a career-high 24.7 points this season.

Kelsey Mitchell finished ahead of Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark in WNBA MVP voting. (Getty Images)

Clark also had five games with at least 30 points and 10 assists this season. Every other player in WNBA history has four.

Read it again. Read it again. Caitlin Clark did something five times in a single season that all other players combined have done four times in WNBA regular season history.

Her best performance came against Seattle on July 17, when she scored 45 points and had 10 assists. It was the first 40-point, 10-assist game the WNBA had ever seen.

And these spectacular evenings were supported by a sustained production. Clark recorded 13 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists, nearly a third of his 40 appearances. She finished with 891 points and 333 assists, becoming the first player to reach 800 points and 300 assists in a season.

Then there is team success. Indiana averaged a league-high 96 points per game. Clark’s ability to score while creating opportunities for her teammates helped make that possible.

Apparently some voters found all this easier to ignore than others.

Miles averaged 19.8 points and six assists while helping Minnesota finish with the best record in the league. It’s worth noting, however, that Minnesota also finished with the league’s best record in 2025, before Miles entered the league.

Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles finished ahead of Caitlin Clark in WNBA MVP voting despite averaging fewer points and assists. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Mitchell scored a league-record 1,086 points. That’s impressive, but Clark helped create those scoring chances with her passing and the defensive attention she draws.

Wilson, meanwhile, averaged 26.2 points and 9.4 rebounds, led the league in points and blocks per game and helped Las Vegas win 31 games. Her ability to dominate on both sides gives voters plenty of reasons to put her first and, honestly, she probably deserved to win.

But picking Wilson and leaving Clark outside the top five are very different judgments.

WNBA Media Deserved Attention

The price was decided by sports journalists and broadcasters. Given how some prominent members of this industry have covered Clark, skepticism about their judgment should surprise no one.

Too much of the media coverage treats his popularity as something that requires a racial explanation before anyone can simply enjoy his basketball.

In May, Cari Champion said of Clark: “I don’t like you. I don’t like the way you carry yourself on the field.”

In September, Champion called Clark “an avatar for people who want to spread hate.”

In July, Nancy Armor argued that Clark’s reactions to officiating endangered black and queer players, even invoking Emmett Till.

Even this week, Charlotte Wilder wanted “something a little more forceful” from Clark about the WNBA’s alleged treatment of black players, even though she previously acknowledged she had already spoken out.

This cover reflects a preference for a story in which black players need to be defended and Clark constantly has to apologize for his mere existence. His performance too often becomes secondary to what commentators think his popularity represents.

A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces drives to the basket against Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever during the 2026 WNBA Playoffs. (Getty Images)

Sports journalists, commentators and broadcasters are entitled to their opinions (no matter how bad they often are). These examples don’t tell us who excluded Clark from the ballot, but they help explain why fans might question the media’s judgment.

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And questioning their judgment does not require opposing Wilson. She received only four Defensive Player of the Year votes, while Angel Reese received 46 and won the award with an overwhelming majority.

I thought Wilson deserved a lot more support in this race, but as I argued at the time, the media loves to portray Reese as a star and they needed a reason to support her.

The standard must be consistent: assessing what players actually did and being prepared to defend the result.

Clark deserved to finish higher in MVP voting

To be clear, Clark’s popularity does not entitle him to the MVP award. But it’s not like her play isn’t worthy of being considered the league’s Most Valuable Player.

It’s possible to disagree on how much weight should be given to defense, turnovers, scoring efficiency or a team’s record. Reasonable people can disagree about Clark’s place behind Wilson, but leaving the Fever superstar outside the top five is borderline malpractice.

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Nineteen voters decided that a historic combination of score and play wasn’t even worth a fifth place finish.

This doesn’t prove that they just don’t like Caitlin Clark and don’t want her to succeed, but it certainly begs the question.

If these 19 voters have a basketball explanation for excluding Clark from their ballots, they should make it public immediately.