Now that Angel Reese is down for the season, the attention has finally shifted to Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson and the all-time dominant season she is producing for the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Wilson has emerged as the latest adversary or comparison for Clark fans, who seem to need an enemy when showing their passionate affections for what Clark has accomplished in her rookie season.
Caitlin Clark Fans Think Her Haters Using A’ja Wilson To Belittle Indiana Fever Star
“These noobs Caitlin Clark Haters using A’Ja Wilson now
Because Reese failed to dominate Clark”
In her seventh season as a pro, Wilson broke the league’s all-time record Wednesday for most points in a regular season, surpassing Jewell Lloyd’s 939 points last year for the Storm.
It took Wilson three fewer games and nearly 100 fewer shot attempts — another example of her efficiency and effectiveness as an elite baller.
A’ja Wilson Fans Say She’s Not Getting Her Proper Respect and Promotion
She’s got the MVP on smash, especially after she dominated Clark and Indiana in their last matchup. She’s also in contention for Defensive Player of the Year double-honor. Averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and a ridiculous 2.7 blocks per game, she’s posting a season for the ages.
However, there are plenty of fans and media who insist that Wilson is not getting the attention, credit or league promotion that she deserves.
Part of the reason for that is the hyperfocus on Clark and other rookies, and the fact that the Aces have been very inconsistent this season, leading to a 23-13 record, just fifth-best in the league.
You can’t tell Wilson fans that though. Many have insisted that she is the greatest player in WNBA history and has transcended the sport. Stephen A. Smith recently spoke glowingly of Wilson on First Take, insinuating that she hasn’t been getting her proper due.
ESPN Hosts Riding For A’ja Wilson
“We just need to stand down, recognize and pay homage to the greatest that we’re witnessing,” Smith said on “First Take.”
Most basketball fans have recognized Wilson’s greatness long ago, but that doesn’t obligate them to cheer for her or even appreciate how godly she executes her craft.
With Wilson killing the game and Clark still winning the headlines and race still being the centerpiece of most conversation and inspiration regarding Clark, some ESPN talking heads and radio hosts have felt the need to join in and balance out the Clark hype by highlighting Wilson’s individual achievements and her overall legacy.
Radio host Freddie Coleman put an end to the MVP talk by revealing that Clark herself called Wilson, “unguardable.”
He took it a step further and probably had Diana Taurasi’s ears ringing.
“Noone has been as dominant as far as separating herself from everybody else in a league than what we have seen from A’ja Wilson the last three years,” Coleman said on his radio show. “She is unguardable and she is the most dominant athlete in any sport compared to anyone else.”
Of course, Coleman got some feedback from Clark fans, who understand that she might not have the stats or résumé to match Wilson but has had a larger effect on the overall health and elevation of the game as a brand in less than a season then Wilson has in her seven seasons.
Both Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson Serve A Great Role In Rise Of WNBA
Both sides are missing the point.
Clark’s unprecedented popularity has definitely put the WNBA in an elevated space among sports conversationalists.
Reese is forever part of Clark’s legacy and they both had record-breaking and impactful rookie seasons, along with millions of followers and casual fans who tune in just to see them.
So in that regard, Clark is the most valuable financial asset that the league has. Attendance records prove it. Ratings when she’s playing prove it. The chartered flights that were finally introduced thanks to her arrival, the $2.2 billion that the NBA broke them off for media rights over the next 11 years and the fact that Clark came into the game with a $28 million Nike deal and LeBron James-like pressure, while doing nothing to disappoint those expectations.
So Clark is special in a way that Wilson is not. Wilson has an issue with this and mentioned her reasoning behind it in the past, saying Clark’s race plays a significant role in the way she has been marketed and promoted.
“I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about Black and white, but to me, it is,” she told The Associated Press when asked about the race element in Clark’s popularity.
The same theory applies to Wilson’s performance on the court. She doesn’t get much pushback when people call her todays GOAT. The game needs her.
Wilson also has great character, is an ideal role model and is a supreme example of the potential of the women’s game.
She’s a more mature and skilled player than Clark at this point and she is clearly in her prime. When it comes to on the court dominance, the league is hers.
But her fans can’t force Wilson to be more popular or fill more seats or draw more interest than Clark, just because she’s a better player. The animosity towards certain players from fans and idiots on social media shouldn’t change what basketball fans already know.
Wilson will win her third MVP in 2024, but she won’t get the same pub that Cailtin Clark gets when these playoffs begin, despite being the best player on a dynasty going for a three-peat.
Let’s not act like Wilson is ignored. She got her own signature shoe with Nike this season, won a gold medal in the Olympics and was recognized as the most outstanding player on the team.
Looks to me like Wilson is deservedly getting her roses.
Clark fans have a great case for why CC is MVP. The team hasn’t had a winning record since 2016 and looks headed toward that with three games left. She’s also the No. 1 cash cow for the league and she fills the stadiums. That can’t be ignored. It also doesn’t mean she deserves more respect or love than Wilson.
The most marketable isn’t always the most magnificent, but the WNBA is not in a position to downplay either of their accomplishments or their importance to the league.
Everybody has a job to do on the road to riches and diamond rings.
