Caitlin Clark has been ranked 10th in ESPN's top 50 WNBA players list for 2026. This ranking has sparked strong reactions online, especially among Indiana Fever fans.
Fever fans won't like Caitlin Clark's new ranking among WNBA players originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN dropped its list of the top 50 WNBA players before the 2026 season, and Caitlin Clark's placement on this ranking of the league's elite has prompted some strong takes online.
Clark, a two-time All-Star in as many seasons, missed much of the 2025 campaign through injury and watched as the Indiana Fever embarked on a surprise WNBA semifinals run without her. It means Clark has something to prove in 2026, even though her stardom is well-known around the world.
ESPN's Kareem Copeland was full of praise for Clark as she placed 10th in the ranking -- a strong place to be for a player who missed more than two-thirds of her second WNBA season.
"(Clark) 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," Copeland wrote. "Injuries limited her to only 13 games in 2025, but she was still named an All-Star."
Even still, fans took exception to Clark's placement on the list, with many arguing that she is better than Olympic gold medalists and WNBA champions like and .
Caitlin Clark's 10th place ranking has drawn criticism as fans believe her talent and previous accolades warrant a higher position, especially given her status as a two-time All-Star.
Clark's injury during the 2025 season limited her playtime, which likely influenced her lower ranking despite her established reputation in the league.
The Indiana Fever made an unexpected run to the WNBA semifinals in 2025 while Clark was sidelined, showcasing the team's resilience and depth.
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"Paige Bueckers, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Alisha Gray even Alyssa Thomas are not above CC. What is this harebrained nonsense?" asked @AdemolaDhemmie on X.
"Calling other players the face (of the league) than using (Clark) as the face of the article is hilarious. Not to mention all the other terrible takes in this article," @Tyfunk98 insisted.
"Thomas and Paige above CC, be serious for a second lmaoo," @xkath_x1 said.
"You bait (with) CC but you call (Bueckers) & Aāja (Wilson) face of Wā¦you canāt be taken seriously at all," @angelayoho1Ā said.
Clark rounding out a subjective top-10 list of the WNBA's best players is hardly an insult, no matter what is said online. It is up to her in 2026 to silence any doubts and continue to grow her game as she seeks to lead the Fever to a championship.