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Why didn’t Caitlin Clark win MVP? A’ja Wilson earns WNBA award over Fever star despite historic rookie season
Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA with higher expectations than anyone before her. She somehow surpassed them, turning in a rookie season that was the second-best in the league’s history.
Clark set records for both assists in a single game and total assists in a season, was No. 7 in points per game and No. 18 in rebounds per game. But as good as that resume was, it fell short of A’ja Wilson’s season for the Aces.
Ahead of the start of the WNBA playoffs, Wilson was named the league’s MVP for 2024. She earned the award unanimously. Napheesa Collier finished second in voting, followed by Breanna Stewart in third and Clark in fourth.
Why didn’t Clark win MVP? Here is why the honor went to Wilson.
Why didn’t Caitlin Clark win MVP?
Clark didn’t win the MVP award because while her season was great, Wilson’s was historic.
Clark was one of the best players in the WNBA and could have won the award in a normal year, but Wilson broke the record for both points and rebounds in a season. She was also arguably the league’s best defensive player. She had quite possibly the best season ever put forth by a player in the league’s history.
Wilson’s Aces team also performed better than Clark’s Fever team during the regular season. The Aces are coming off two consecutive championships and have aspirations to three-peat with Wilson as their best player. She helped Las Vegas secure the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, while Indiana was at No. 6.
Wilson is going to go down as one of the all-time greats. This is her third MVP award in just seven total seasons. She’s made six All-Star games and won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice. She also helped Team USA win a gold medal during the break in the middle of the season.
Clark was controversially not selected for the Olympic team, and that will certainly change for the 2028 games in Los Angeles. She could have her own MVP award by that time as well.
Caitlin Clark regular season stats
Clark might have had a chance to win the award had she not come out to a slow start. The Fever had a brutal schedule, opening the season with a 1-8 record. They had to play those nine games in just 17 days and were matching up against many of the top teams in the league.
Clark was also coming off a grueling college season and had a very short break before training camp was set to start. The lack of rest has impacted her stats all year.
The break during the Olympics rejuvenated her season, and she’s been on a tear since then. Had she played the entire year as she finished it, she would have had a much stronger case for winning the award over Wilson.
Pre All-Star
Post All-Star
Totals
Games
26
14
40
MPG
35.2
35.9
35.4
PPG
17.1
23.1
19.2
RPG
5.8
5.2
5.7
APG
8.2
8.9
8.4
TOV
5.6
5.6
5.6
FG%
40.5%
43.5%
41.7%
3FG%
32.7%
37.0%
34.4%
FT%
89.1%
92.9%
90.6%
Caitlin Clark vs. A’ja Wilson: Regular season stats
When lining up their stats head-to-head, Clark has the clear edge in passing and shooting. Wilson is the better scorer, rebounder and defender.
Wilson’s most impressive statistic is her scoring. She comfortably cleared the previous single-season record of 25.3 points per game, set by Diana Taurasi back in 2006. Wilson was also the league’s second-best rebounder behind Angel Reese, the best shot-blocker and top-five in steals per game.
Here’s how their stats line up:
Caitlin Clark
Stat (per game)
A’ja Wilson
19.2
Points
26.9
5.7
Rebounds
11.9
8.4
Assists
2.3
1.3
Steals
1.8
0.7
Blocks
2.6
41.7%
Field Goal %
51.8%
34.4%
3-point %
31.7%
90.6%
Free Throw %
84.4%
