Caitlin Clark voted ‘ninth-best guard’ by WNBA players ahead of all-star game, sparks reactions

Despite dominating the fan vote as the WNBA’s leading all-star vote-getter by a record-setting margin, Fever star Caitlin Clark ranked as the ninth-best guard by players. Fellow players rated Clark as the second-best guard on her own team behind Kelsey Mitchell.

Clark averages 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and five rebounds per game this season. She missed several weeks of action earlier this season following a quad strain and has been battling a recent groin injury that has made her questionable ahead of Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup Final against the Minnesota Lynx.

With more than 1.2 million fan votes, Clark — one of two all-star captains — shattered the previous all-star record she set last season.

Over the weekend, Clark said she was excited for the Fever to host the all-star game on July 19.

“Obviously, it’s cool and it’s cool fans get to be a part of it and have an impact on the game,” Clark said. “It’s going to be really special to be able to do it here in this city. There’s already been so much time and effort by so many people who aren’t going to get credit for what they did to bring all-star here.

“(I’m) trying to make it the best all-star the WNBA’s ever had. I (think) we’ll certainly do that.”

Clark said she plans to “draft” as many teammates as she can on her squad on July 8 when final rosters are chosen. Clark is one of 10 starters who were previously revealed this week.

The WNBA’s league-wide placement of Clark resulted in widespread reaction.

Basketball legend Dick Vitale argued opposing players showed “pure jealously” with their all-star voting of Clark as the league’s ninth-best player in the backcourt. Vitale lays out his reasons for the take and Clark’s positive impact off the court for her peers.

Clark is undoubtedly a conversation-starter around the sports world and generates considerable reaction, even from those not necessarily tied to women’s basketball. What’s up with the league’s disdain for its front-facing star?

The WNBA continues to set viewership records and Clark is the primary cog in that development. Need more of Clark’s dominance? Her first sneaker release Monday was an instant sellout from Nike’s Kobe V line and is now selling for two times the retail price of $190 on the aftermarket.

The impact Clark’s had on the WNBA since her arrival last spring can’t be understated. 

Kelsey Plum, who jokingly replaced a fan’s Clark shirt in the front row of shootaround with Sparks apparel, ranked 16th by her peers. This coming despite averaging 20.6 points per game this season and consistently being one of the league’s top players.