Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was the first player in the league’s history to average 20 points and eight assists, but got just one first-place vote and came fourth overall behind Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, who received 65 out of 74 votes.

Dan Falkenheim, who was an MVP voter, did not even put Clark on his ballot. In his X post, he said Indiana’s sixth-place finish in the standings forced him to pick just one guard from the Fever.

“And while Clark’s playmaking is otherworldly and turnovers come with the territory, I still felt like Clark’s turnovers were costly,” Falkenheim wrote in a post on X.

His reasoning is valid, although the statistics can be argued either way. Indiana had a winning record of 28-16, and their point guard, Kelsey Mitchell, recorded 1,086 points and a record-breaking year.

However, Clark recorded 891 points and 333 assists for the season, including a 45-point, 10-assist game against the Seattle Storm, and 19 voters still omitted her.

The reason for Wilson's dominance on the list can be found in her resume.

According to Rachel DeMita, who is a host of Courtside Club, she was consistent at all times when Las Vegas lost Janiah Barker because of her knee injury and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus because of her concussion.

“They’ve lost players throughout the season, and A’ja Wilson just continues to show up and dominate, and I think that’s something that deserves to be rewarded,” DeMita said on her Courtside Club show.

Wilson averaged 26.2 points per game, pulled down 9.4 rebounds, recorded 1.9 blocks, and had 30-point games 12 times in the season.

Wilson becomes the first player ever to win three consecutive MVPs, while her five MVP honors tie her with Michael Jordan and Bill Russell.

Wilson’s campaign may have been safe from the start, but the divide in Indiana’s backcourt certainly made things interesting.

Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell Split Indiana’s Spotlight

That shared spotlight may have cost both guards. When two teammates achieve career-best stats, voters seldom settle on a single name, and Indiana’s seeding gave doubters a simple way to decide.

“Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell both being in the MVP discussion probably didn’t help either of them,” DeMita said on Courtside Club.

“No matter what, I’m going to be here. I just want to do what’s best for the team and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships.” Clark said Thursday while addressing her EPIC extension.

Clark appeared on 55 of 74 ballots, but the Fever’s decisive loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the last match left no clear argument for either guard regarding team achievement.

Read More at Her Sports Nation! 

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta