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Caitlin Clark may have made the WNBA popular worldwide, with her incredible shooting range, but that doesn’t necessarily make her the most talented player in the league’s history. After two seasons, she has shown flashes of brilliance, but consistency has been an issue, and injuries have limited her progress. According to Michael Cooper, Clark is not quite on her way to being a GOAT yet.
When it comes to all-time greats, Cooper, a former Los Angeles Lakers star, recently insisted that Clark still falls short of matching the legendary Lisa Leslie. However, there is another modern-day standout whom he believes can be placed on the level of the two-time WNBA champion – reigning MVP A’ja Wilson.
Cooper coached Leslie during his time with the Los Angeles Sparks. Having witnessed greatness firsthand, his comparison is a major compliment for Wilson. Still, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering A’ja has already established herself as one of the best players in WNBA history after capturing her third championship with the Aces earlier this year.
“Hands down. Lisa used to dominate the game,” Cooper stated on VladTV when asked if Leslie was better than Clark. “The only player I can identify Lisa with, A’ja Wilson, the girl from the Aces.”.
Wilson’s accolades are just as rich — if not richer — than Leslie’s. She led the Aces to their third title in four years and captured her fourth league MVP in the process. One could say that A’ja has helped make the Aces the premier pro sports team in Sin City.
Cooper then brought the spotlight back to Clark and commended her as a shooter. However, he explained that Leslie was better all around.
“Caitlin is a flat-out shooter, but Lisa was a great defender, a hell of a rebounder, could shoot the 3, and she was probably the last of the back-to-the-basket women’s centers in the game. Because now the women’s game is transitioning like the men’s game. Everybody is face-up.”
To be fair, Coop joked that Leslie did have a height advantage over Clark. “Caitlin Clark, I would say Lisa is better than her. She’s taller than her so she’s going to be able to do a little bit more. Lisa was good. Very good,” he added.
So really, the whole thing lands in a pretty reasonable spot. Clark’s on a rocket-ship trajectory, but she’s still climbing toward a tier Leslie and A’ja already built their homes in. Cooper wasn’t knocking her. He just knows what true, fully-formed dominance looks like, because he coached it.
And if Clark keeps growing her game the way she has, staying healthy and sharpening those edges, there’s no reason she can’t join that conversation someday. For now, though, she’s chasing legends, not replacing them.
