WNBA Facing Backlash Over Controversial Caitlin Clark Decision - Athlon  Sports

ESPN released its midseason rankings for the Top 25 players in the WNBA, and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark landed at No. 15 on the list. But while being a Top 15 player as a rookie is a huge compliment, several fans don’t see it that way.

In fact, Clark’s supporters found it disrespectful and called out the sports media network for its list.

Before the WNBA break, Clark was considered a Top 3 candidate for the MVP award. She’s averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and a league-leading 8.2 assists, establishing herself as the best playmaker in the league today.

Not to mention that Clark had the Fever competing for a playoff spot, as they entered the break as the No. 7 seed with an 11-15 record. The Top 8 teams in the WNBA at the end of the campaign qualify for the postseason.

That said, many simply can’t believe that there are 14 players who are better than her based on the ESPN list.

“Caitlin Clark at 15 when she’s top 3 in MVP contention as a rookie is absolute insanity,” a commenter wrote.

“Cc at 15 is disrespectful,” another one said. A social media user agreed and echoed the same sentiment, “CC at 15 is disrespectful leave it to ESPN.”

“Caitlin is ranked 15th but has the 4th best odds to win MVP!?” a critic added.

A shocked supporter added, “15!!! Caitlin is top 5 and it’s not close..”

“Clark at 15. List is beyond invalid,” a sixth fan said.

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson leads the ESPN list, while New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier round up the Top 3.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the second half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center.

Considering Caitlin Clark’s numbers and the fact that she has one of the worst teams last season in playoff contention, a case could be made for her to be in the Top 10 at least.

However, the WNBA season is far from over. Should the Fever star manage to lead Indiana to the postseason, her ranking is sure to go up.