
Carrick vs Solskjaer: Whose audition went better after 13 PL games?
Carrick vs Solskjaer: Who Performed Better After 13 PL Matches?
Caitlin Clark has dropped from No. 4 to No. 10 in ESPN's preseason top 50 WNBA player rankings for 2026. Her previous injury-riddled season likely influenced this change.
As the WNBA's 30th regular season officially tips off on May 7, ESPN released its top 50 player rankings for the 2026 campaign. Caitlin Clark slid in the rankings from No. 4 in the preseason last year to No. 10 in the preseason top 50 player rankings this year.
Though her 2025 campaign was injury-riddled and likley impacted her placement, it's still a bit of a puzzling spot considering her superstar pedigree and global reputation.
This ranking places Clark behind A'ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Plum.
Here is what Kareem Copeland had to say about Clark's placement on the list and how ESPN views the Iowa women's basketball legend entering this season:
Caitlin Clark dropped in the rankings due to her injury-riddled 2025 season, which likely affected her performance and perception.
Players ranked above Caitlin Clark include A'ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Plum.
The ESPN top 50 player rankings are significant as they reflect the perceived talent and impact of players entering the WNBA season, influencing fan expectations and media narratives.

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Clark received the fourth-most MVP votes as a rookie while setting a single-season league record for assists and posting the second-most 3-point field goals in a season. She became one of the league's best passers and long-range shooters the moment she stepped onto a WNBA court, and was just getting started when she was named Rookie of the Year and first-team all-WNBA in 2024. Injuries limited her to only 13 games in 2025, but she was still named an All-Star. - Kareem Copeland, ESPN
Clark will look to prove the network wrong when the Fever open the 2026 regular season on Saturday, May 9 in front of a national audience on ION against the Dallas Wings from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: ESPN drops Caitlin Clark in preseason top 50 WNBA player rankings