Caitlin Clark has already locked up the Rookie of the Year race. She's having the second-best rookie campaign in WNBA history , shattering records in the process.
Has the Fever star been the best player in the league, though?
A'ja Wilson looked like the strong favorite to win her third MVP award before the All-Star break. Clark has significantly closed that gap over the last month, turning up her play and leading a surging Fever team up the standings.
Here's where that race stands with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season.
MORE: Caitlin Clark is having the second-best rookie season in WNBA history
Caitlin Clark vs. A'ja Wilson stats
Clark has a clear lead in passing and long-distance shooting. Wilson has been a superior scorer, rebounder and defender.
Here's how their stats line up:
| Caitlin Clark | Stat (per game) | A'ja Wilson |
|---|
| 19.2 | Points | 27.3 |
| 5.8 | Rebounds | 11.9 |
| 8.5 | Assists | 2.4 |
| 1.3 | Steals | 1.9 |
| 0.8 | Blocks | 2.7 |
| 42.3% | Field Goal % | 52.7% |
| 34.7% | 3-point % | 33.9% |
| 90.7% | Free Throw % | 85.5% |
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Caitlin Clark vs. A'ja Wilson MVP race
Caitlin Clark has had a bigger impact on her team's success
The Aces are a stacked team. They sent five players to the Olympics this summer, including Wilson. Despite all of that talent, they've been less dominant than expected. They stand in fourth place coming into their matchup with the sixth-place Fever on Wednesday.
Clark has done more with less. The Fever are 3.5 games back of the Aces, but their 19-17 record is a dramatic improvement from their 13-27 record last season. Clark has been the reason for that turnaround. She's made teammates around her significantly better , creating more open looks and helping to spur career years from Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull. Aliyah Boston has significantly improved her passing as a result of the double-teams that Clark routinely draws.
Without Clark, the Fever would be one of the worst teams in the league yet again. Without Wilson, the Aces would manage to survive. They've played better statistically without her , outscoring opponents by 1.6 points per 100 possessions more with her on the bench compared to when she plays. The Fever, on the other hand, are 6.5 points per 100 possessions worse when Clark sits compared to when she plays.
MORE: This Caitlin Clark play is already wrecking WNBA defenses
Caitlin Clark has had a bigger influence on the growth of the support
Every WNBA player deserves credit for helping to grow the game to where it is today, including Wilson. But Clark's contribution to the massive increase in interest is undeniable. Attendance has skyrocketed for every team thanks to her.
Clark's rookie season will go down in history as a turning point for the league. She's had the most pressure on her of any female basketball player ever, and she's met that challenge in a big way thanks to her outstanding play. She has easily earned All-WNBA First Team honors based on her play alone.
There's a case to be made that Clark's contributions to the game should earn her MVP honors.
MORE: A'ja Wilson makes history with 41-point outburst vs. Mercury
A'ja Wilson has been a better scorer and defender
If the MVP award is solely based on play on the court, then Clark still hasn't surpassed Wilson even given Clark's late-season surge.
Clark would probably win the award in a normal year, but Wilson has had a historic season in her own right. Her scoring is unprecedented — her 27.3 points per game will easily break Diana Taurasi's all-time single-season record of 25.3.
Wilson is also only 40 rebounds away from the record for rebounds in a season, currently held by the injured Angel Reese. If Wilson plays in the Aces' last five games, she will have both all-time point and rebound records in the same year.
To top it all off, Wilson has a good chance of becoming only the third player in WNBA history to record a season with 100 or more blocks. She leads the league in defensive rebounds and blocks, and she is second in total steals. She's coming off back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards and she will be in contention to win her third straight.
Wilson has been the best scorer in league history and one of the best defenders.
MORE: A look at all of the flagrant fouls committed against Caitlin Clark this season
A'ja Wilson is still ahead in the MVP race
We have not seen a season like the one that Wilson is putting together. She has the highest player efficiency rating in the league's history and she's putting up stats on both ends of the floor at a never-before-seen rate. Despite the Aces' drop-off, they're still considered the No. 2 contender for the championship behind the Liberty.
Wilson is the only player to have scored more than 40 points in a game this season, and she's done it twice.
Clark looks like she's going to win an MVP at some point in her future. She has lived up to the generational hype. But we're seeing possibly the greatest season of all time from Wilson.
Based on play alone, the award should be Wilson's.
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