Caitlin Clark Turns Heads With Surprising Lead Over A'ja Wilson Before WNBA Season
While betting odds are usually the most trustworthy indicator of reality--money talks, after all--they can sometimes be skewed based on popularity and perception. Betting on, say, the Yankees or the Lakers or Notre Dame, for example, is usually a bad idea, because the lines tend to move based on the fact that those teams have such strong nationwide fan bases.
We could be seeing the same thing in the WNBA, where Caitlin Clark stormed into the league as the No. 1 pick last year and backed up the hype by winning the league's Rookie of the Year award, averaging 19.8 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds, and setting a rookie record for 3-pointers made.
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Given that her team, the Indiana Fever, went 20-20 last year but has made significant talent upgrades in the offseason, it stands to reason that Clark could well graduate from the ROY award to a bigger award: MVP. If she improves her numbers and the Fever become one of the top teams in the league, she will be a top candidate.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles against the Atlanta Dream during the second half at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
But the favorite? It is probably too soon for that, not with A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces coming off a dominant season in which she set a record with 26.9 points per game, adding 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots.
Wilson swept all 67 first-place votes for the MVP award in 2024. Runner-up Napheesa Collier of the Lynx and center Breanna Stewart of the Liberty (who was third) will be in the mix, too. Still, Clark's popularity is undeniable.
Clark was fourth in MVP balloting last year, but according to BetMGM, she is now the favorite to be the 2025 MVP. That would be a stunning rise, even for a player of Clark's ability, though it should be note that at plus-195, she is only a slight favorite over Wilson (plus-200) and Collier (plus-250).
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Clark and the Fever will tip off their season on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis against the Chicago Sky.
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