Caitlin Clark is getting some love from her WNBA peers despite going through an unfortunate shooting slump in her second season in the league.
The Indiana Fever star recently ranked No. 1 in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic asking WNBA players who will be the face of the league in five years. Clark received 53.8% of the votes among 39 respondents; players were allowed multiple answers but were not allowed to vote for their teammates.
Trailing Clark in second place is a surprising name who hasn't even entered the league yet: USC star JuJu Watkins, who garnered 17.9% of votes. Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers finished third with 14.1%, Chicago Sky's Angel Reese was fourth with 6.4% and Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson rounded out the top five with 3.8%.
“She’s clearly already a draw, and she still has room to improve (as a player)," one anonymous player said of Clark. Another player believed Clark was already the face of the league.
It's interesting that Clark's biggest perceived competition for the face of the WNBA is Watkins, who isn't eligible for the draft for another two seasons, having just completed her sophomore year of college. The Trojans guard, who turned 20 in July, is coming off an ACL tear in her right knee that she suffered in the second round of the NCAA tournament in March, and could be considered one of the most famous college athletes in the country. Watkins averaged 23.9 points per game in her 2024-25 campaign, a slightly lower mark than the 27.1 points she averaged in an impressive breakout freshman season.
Clearly, a handful in the W already consider Watkins a franchise-altering star who could rival Clark's popularity in a few years' time.
Clark was notably left off the ballot in another anonymous poll by The Athletic that asked who was the best player in the WNBA this season. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Wilson were ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively and are currently the top two contenders for league MVP.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark’s Peers Make Feelings Clear on Who Will Be Face of WNBA in Five Years.