Sports

Caitlin Clark Finds Herself At Center Of ESPYs Controversy After Undeserving Award Win

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Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson WNBA

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Caitlin Clark is a remarkable basketball player. Nobody is denying that. But one thing Caitlin Clark is not, is the best player in the WNBA, either currently or in her impressive rookie season.

So you can imagine the surprise from some when Clark was named the WNBA Player of the Year at the 2025 ESPY Awards.

Caitlin Clark Named ESPYs WNBA Player Of The Year Despite Evidence Otherwise

Clark won the award ahead of reigning league MVP and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, as well as Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. ESPY winners are determined via a combination of fan voting and a selection committee. So it’s easy to see how Clark won the award given her massive and dedicate fan base.

But the reality is, she just isn’t a deserving winner. Any of the other candidates would’ve been better selections, with Wilson the leading candidate as the league’s most valuable player. Stewart, herself a former MVP, helped lead the Liberty to a WNBA championship, while Collier is the prohibitive favorite to win this year’s MVP award.

So, as you can imagine, the reactions to Clark’s victory were anything but calm.

“A’ja Wilson got the scoring & blocks title, her 3rd MVP and the DPOY and didn’t win this,” one fan wrote.

“Sorry this one is egregious lol and before you come for me: everything else aside, if you go purely by stats, she doesn’t even crack the top 10 or even 20 best players in the league. I’m not a hater but what are we doing here,” said another.

Due to fan voting, the ESPYs have always lacked a bit of credibility. But this is a stretch even by that standard. Clark is an outstanding player. And even her cohorts realize that she’s likely to be the face of the league sooner rather than later.

But she isn’t the best player in the league. She wasn’t last season. She isn’t now, and she doesn’t deserve the award.