Dick Vitale, fans rip WNBA players for Caitlin Clark All-Star votes

USA Today

3 days ago

Following the news that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark finished in the No. 9 slot in the WNBA All-Star players' vote, popular sports figures and fans nationwide have taken to social media to voice their frustrations, including longtime ESPN analyst and college basketball legend Dick Vitale, who was one of the most vocal.
The voting process for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis consisted of three voting components: 50% fan votes, 25% WNBA player votes, and 25% media votes. While Clark received the most fan votes and secured herself as one of the two captains for the event, her fellow peers in the league took a different tone by ranking her as the No. 9 guard.
As a result of the media voting Clark as third in their rankings behind Atlanta's Allisha Gray and New York's Sabrina Ionescu, Clark's total weighted points saw her finish No. 2 overall in the position, behind Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers.
Vitale pointed to the league's apparent "jealousy" of Clark's historic 2024 rookie season and how players should be thankful for her subsequent global fame as it has created a much healthier league in both television ratings and overall popularity.
While the shocking result in the players' vote most likely doesn't even bother the former Hawkeye, it could provide another chip on her shoulder to once again prove to her peers that she is the face of the WNBA.
Although Clark has not played in the past three games due to a left groin injury, her next opportunity to return to the court will be when the Fever host the Las Vegas Aces from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT.
Here were some of the other reactions to the players' All-Star votes of Clark:
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