Women's Fastbreak On SI

Caitlin Clark's Claim For All-WNBA First Team Has Become Clear

A statistical comparison shows that Caitlin Clark's All-WNBA First Team case should be cemented.
Grant Young|
Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) calls out to her team as they play Team USA during the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20, 2024.
Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) calls out to her team as they play Team USA during the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20, 2024. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Even given her sky-high expectations heading into her first WNBA season, few predicted Caitlin Clark would perform the way she has as a rookie to this point.

Clark's adept orchestration of her Indiana Fever team's offense has allowed them to ascend the WNBA standings and secure their first trip to the postseason since 2016. Not to mention all of the individual records that Clark either has or is on the verge of setting by the time this season ends.

Despite this unprecedented success, an August 27 ESPN article predicted that Clark would not earn All-WNBA First-Team honors in her rookie season, and would instead be a Second-Team honoree.

Yet, a statistical comparison between Clark and two of ESPN's predicted First-Team players that's circulating on social media shows that the 22-year-old may deserve the nod over them.

X user @slowlyslide posted a side-by-side comparison of Clark's 2024 stats and that of New York Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu, who ESPN listed as a First-Team All-WNBA honoree.

The comparison shows Clark has better stats than Ionescu in every single major offensive category, with the only thing in Ionescu's favor is their head-to-head record.

Ionescu isn't the only of ESPN's predicted First-Team honorees that Clark has a statistical advantage over. Another three-player comparison from X user @CClarkReport between Clark, Ionescu, and Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas shows that Clark also has Thomas beat in many categories.

There's no doubt that both Thomas and Ionescu are among the WNBA's most elite players. But if offensive metrics are the basis of who deserves to be included in the Alll-WNBA First-Team then Clark's position should be cemented.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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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