The WNBA is in year 30, and now that the league has opened up the books and the coffers, the league’s hierarchy (owners and executives) has a plan on how they want this next era of WNBA hoops to play out. They know who they want their stars to be and where they want to create the swell of fans who will engage in WNBA matters. It’s easy to trigger Caitlin Clark fans, and when you want to get the most engagement you can, just make it appear as if you’re slighting the Indiana Fever star.
That’s when the dogs come out and start barking.
Caitlin Clark Fans Blast WNBA General Manager Rankings
The WNBA recently released this year’s general manager survey in which they polled front office leaders about best players, teams and offseason moves.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and New York Liberty aging veteran Breanna Stewart received the most MVP votes (followed by Clark and Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray). Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray locked down the Point God vote with 73 percent.
Paige Bueckers Is No. 1 Franchise Player In WNBA According To League GMs
Despite just playing 13 games last season, Clark made the list of franchise stars, but she didn’t rate as high as her lofty status in the Twittersphere would command when it comes to selecting one player to start a franchise with.
GM’s were asked:
“If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be?”
To the dismay of Team CC, WNBA GMs selected Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers as No. 1 overall. Bueckers, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, placed first with 33 percent of the vote. She was followed by Clark and Wilson with 20 percent.
WNBA Fans Debate Whether Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark Or A’ja Wilson Should Be No. 1 Franchise Starter
That created a firestorm of opinion from WNBA fans and plays perfectly into the W’s plans to have these two guards continue to develop as the cornerstone pieces of the new era. When they met earlier in the preseason, the atmosphere was like an NBA playoff game. Clark started off smoking hot and Bueckers finished blazing to get her team the win.
Many fans saw that game as Bueckers outplaying Clark. Just a preseason contest, the narrative was an example of how quickly rankings, lists and MVP favorites will change this season, game to game. And one thing you can count on is that everything surrounding the WNBA will be passionate, emotional and agenda-driven from the fans to the front offices.
Fans were split on the list.
“10-win season last year and doesn’t put asses in seats. Led her team to last place and 11th in attendance out of 13 teams. WNBA GMs are r–d, got it,” said one fan about Bueckers, above a chart of WNBA attendance.
“The GM’s of the WNBA are straight up lying that they wouldn’t start a new team led by Clark!@YahooSports this is why you’re a joke also!,” one netizen commented
“After Wilson got undressed and exposed by the Fever’s B, C, D, and E squads in seven games last season she shouldn’t even be on the list. Clark is the only answer,” said one fan on X.
“Caitlin Clark is the most prolific player in the league right now so I would say she would be the best player to start a franchise with,” a third fan noted.
“Goes to show you the WNBA has dumb GM’s,” one fan bluntly stated before giving his reason why a WNBA team should start with CC and not Paige. “Paige is a great scorer but she has 2 issues. 1. She does not make her teammates better and 2. She has the knees of a 55-year-old and she is not long for the league.”
The A’ja Wilson Disrespect From GMs Was Noted
A’ja Wilson fans couldn’t believe the matter was even up for discussion.
“So, the 3x champion, 4x MVP, 3x DPoY who’s not even 30 yet Is not but unanimous first choice? Lol. Yeah, I see why general managers get fired,” one user said.
“How do you not start a franchise with the ACTUAL best player,” another Wilson supporter wondered.
A’ja Wilson is an all-time great and she’s in her prime now, as she approaches 30 years of age. But unfortunately, she falls in the category of those legends who are caught between the old guard and this new era of WNBA basketball. It’s surely much different from the past in many ways. Even culturally and as far as what the mission statement of the league has been in regard to vocality on social issues.
Caitlin Clark & Paige Bueckers Will Lead New Generation Of WNBA: That’s How The League Wants It
This new generation of fans follows Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and even Angel Reese. Thus, these new jacks are more popular than any of the OG players. The focus on Reese and Caitlin Clark helped fuel a certain kind of attention for the WNBA that served its purpose to get them to this point.
As they look to smooth things out a bit and give the people what they want, pitting two white players against each other as the supreme players in the game and having them compete for titles is how the league believes it will maximize every move it has made over the past five years and continue to elevate in popularity across America.
The “Black gay woman league” has become the ponytail parade, and it is on a vanilla raid. Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark conjured memories of Magic and Bird, but for all of her defensive prowess and celebrity, Reese is not the caliber of Paige or Clark when it comes to pure ball skills. Filling up arenas because of her excellence on the court. She has a fan base for sure, but basketball is not the leading force of her rising celebrity. It’s more so the foundation of it.
Remember we told you as Paige vs. CC narrative grows into the dominating and most marketed and media-discussed topic of the WNBA season. Everybody else is playing second fiddle regardless of what they accomplish on the court. Fans of some deserving superstars will just have to be mad. Book it.
