Caitlin Clark's MVP Bid Has One Major Problem
Caitlin Clark's MVP Bid Has One Major Problem
Angelo GuinhawaSun, August 23, 2026 at 1:35 PM UTC
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Caitlin Clark has established herself as an MVP candidate with the Indiana Fever this season. Through 34 games played, she has averaged 21.7 points on 44.6% shooting from the field, along with 3.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
The Fever All-Star is third in the WNBA in scoring and second in assists. With six games left in the season, Clark could very well become the first player in league history to lead the league in assists while finishing in the top three in scoring.
That being said, Clark certainly has a case for the MVP award. After all, aside from her individual numbers, Indiana is thriving this season and has already secured a playoff spot. The team currently boasts a 24-14 record.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on during a WNBA game.Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
WNBA.com contributing expert Candace Pedraza, unsurprisingly, listed Clark as an MVP candidate in her WNBA MVP ladder. She ranked the Fever star behind Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles.
However, Pedraza couldn’t help but point out the problem in Clark’s MVP bid. Based on stats through Aug. 18, the 24-year-old guard has had more of a negative impact on Indiana whenever she’s on the court.
“Turnovers aside, her impact on the Fever based on on/off data is also a bit concerning. Indiana’s net rating with Clark on the court is 5.3. Off the court, it rises to 11.3. That makes her the third-most negatively impactful player on their net rating so far this season,” Pedraza explained.
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Several WNBA fans and experts have also pointed to win shares as a stat that doesn’t support Clark’s MVP candidacy. The past five MVP winners alone ranked at least in the top two in win shares, but Clark is only 19th in win shares this season.
Wilson led the league in win shares in 2024 and 2025, and she won MVP in both years. She was second in win shares in 2022 when she bagged the honor.
When Breanna Stewart won it in 2023, she was also second in win shares. Jonquel Jones led the league in win shares during her MVP year in 2021.
While there’s no denying that Clark has been remarkable for Indiana, it remains to be seen how much WNBA MVP voters will take advanced statistics into consideration when deciding who to vote for.
Related: Caitlin Clark Loses WNBA Record to Olivia Miles
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Sports”
