Caitlin Clark Fans Push Back on Her Placement in ESPN Player Rankings
It feels absurd to consider that Caitlin Clark has anything to prove to anyone, given what she has already accomplished in her basketball career.
But given that Clark missed most of the Indiana Fever's 2025 season because of injuries, it seems that some have forgotten what she's capable of when operating at full strength. And perhaps her winning MVP of the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament last month wasn't enough of a reminder for some WNBA media members.
ESPN's Caitlin Clark WNBA Player Ranking Sparks Strong Fan Reaction
On April 30, ESPN published an article that included staff writers Michael Voepel, Charlie Creme, Kendra Andrews, and Kareem Copeland ranking who they believe were the top 50 players in the league.
Leading the charge was A'ja Wilson, which is no surprise and well-deserved. Then Alyssa Thomas at No. 2, then Napheesa Collier, then Breanna Stewart, then Jackie Young. From there, No. 6 was Sabrina Ionescu, then Allisha Gray, then Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Plum came in at No. 9, then there sat Caitlin Clark at No. 10.
Who are the top 50 WNBA players heading into the 2026 season 👀
— espnW (@espnW) April 30, 2026
Full rankings ➡️ https://t.co/dYE9pmFuxZ pic.twitter.com/nIFfA1B5mM
Clark's placement on this list — especially with her being behind five other guards — was sure to irk her fan base. And they're making their frustration known on social media.
"If she is 10 then you espn is not serious," wrote @Update_Centrals.
"Paige Bueckers, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Alisha Gray even Alyssa Thomas are not above CC. What is this harebrained nonsense?" added @AdemolaDhemmie.
"Plum is not a better player than Kelsey or cc what😭😭," wrote @OvOSlippy, referencing that Clark's Fever teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, was ranked right behind her at No. 11.
@taterthotiana wrote, "ESPN: 'Let’s rank her 10th and make her the graphic for click bait.'"
"We all know damn well there isn’t 9 players better then her in this league," wrote @HanaHoops.
We all know damn well there isn’t 9 players better then her in this league https://t.co/yyRyACWVwG
— Hana 🧡 (@HanaHoops) April 30, 2026
"Now Caitlin Clark is 10 ! 😂 espn is a funny organization," wrote @theblaqsmoke.
"Why do they underestimate cc so much 💀 is it because of her defense ? I’m really confused ..," added @SakuraUchihaHq.
"Cc at 10 is crazy ngl," said @datoneeeeee.
"Why is Paige over Caitlin? That’s not the only issue," said @Everaldjr.
"I agree with a couple of the names ahead of Clark, but 10th is simply ridiculous lol," wrote @josh3302.
I agree with a couple of the names ahead of Clark, but 10th is simply ridiculous lol
— Josh Gross (@josh3302) April 30, 2026
Fits my narrative though of media eventually pushing JuJu > Clark once she turns pro https://t.co/Miv3PE6jSS
Perhaps this ranking can serve as added motivation for Clark heading into the 2026 campaign. Not that she needs any motivation to remind most women's basketball fans that she's a clear MVP candidate.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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