Caitlin Clark the 9th-best guard in WNBA? That's what her peers think in All-Star player vote
Clark was named one of two captains for the July 19 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse because she received the most fan votes. Minnesota's Napheesa Collier finished second in the fan vote and will serve as the other captain.
But in the player vote, Clark was ranked ninth... among guards.
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The media vote ranked Clark the third guard, and the weighted score between fan, player and media vote had Clark second overall, behind Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers.
Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game this season, though she has missed seven games due to injuries (a quad strain sidelined her for five games and a groin strain has kept her out of the past two games).
If she had played enough games to qualify, Clark would rank 11th in the league in scoring and second in assists.
The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year struggled recently, making just 1-of-23 from behind the arc with 22 turnovers in the three games before her recent groin strain. She's questionable for Tuesday's Commissioner's Cup final at Minnesota.
Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell (who is averaging a team-best 18.9 ppg) was ranked sixth among guards in the player vote. She was third in fan voting and 11th in the media vote for guards.
Aliyah Boston, who was named an All-Star Game starter on Monday, was second in fan voting among forwards and ninth in both the media and player vote.
If you think the player vote was harsh on Clark, Kelsey Plum was sixth in the fan and media voting but was 16th (!) in player voting. Plum is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 20.6 ppg. That's some serious hate.
Here are the top-7 guards for the player vote:
1. Allisha Gray (Atlanta)
2. Sabrina Ionescu (New York)
3. Skylar Diggins (Seattle)
4. (tie) Paige Bueckers (Dallas)
4. (tie) Natasha Cloud (New York)
6. Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana)
7. Brittney Sykes (Washington)
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