WNBA legend slams general managers for disrespecting Caitlin Clark in annual survey
Who would you slightly begin a WNBA franchise with: Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers? That was a query in this 12 months’s annual general managers survey performed by the league previous to the season opener.
Before the 2025 season, executives have been requested which participant they’d need to begin a franchise with, and 50% stated Clark. This 12 months, with Clark heading into his third season after an injury-riddled sophomore marketing campaign, enjoying solely 12 video games, and Bueckers coming off a formidable rookie season, profitable Rookie of the Year honors, GMs’ minds modified drastically.
Clark acquired solely 20% of the vote, whereas Bueckers led the vote with 33%. This is the place WNBA legend, Lisa Leslie comes in.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete throughout an inbounds play in the primary half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
Leslie, who will quickly have a statue of herself erected exterior of Crypto.com enviornment, stated these general managers who did not vote for Clark, “are probably going to get fired.”
She did not pull any punches as she uncovered on her response to the survey saying, “This is a cash enterprise and the money is about Caitlin Clark“
Leslie is spot on right here. Reports say, Caitlin Clark has pushed roughly 25%+ of the WNBA’s latest financial exercise during the last two seasons. Clark has been the principle driving issue for file attendance, file rankings, file merchandise gross sales, huge franchise appreciation, a $2.2B media deal, growth charge inflation, and extra. She’s not solely the Indiana Fever’s, however the WNBA’s golden ticket. Its financial impression is off the charts.
BASKETBALL LEGEND LISA LESLIE PRAISES CAITLIN CLARK, EFFECT SHE’S HAD ON WNBA
Leslie strengthened these details in her look on “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith stating, “Never in the history of the WNBA, have we had a player force teams to play in larger arenas.”
Lisa Leslie attends the Women’s Gold Medal basketball recreation between Team France and Team USA on the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Aug. 11, 2024, at Bercy Arena in Paris, France. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
Just have a look at this staggering statistic between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
In the season opener in Indiana, because the Fever took on the Dallas Wings, the sector was clearly offered out with 16,000+ in attendance. It was Clark vs. Bueckers, with the addition of the WNBA’s No. 1 general decide, Azzi Fudd. It was clearly a scorching ticket. Fast ahead to recreation two for the Dallas Wings, who hosted Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream. They could not even promote out the 7,000-seat enviornment.
“If you’re the GM, you’re obviously supposed to be bringing in money,” Leslie defined additional.
It’s true. As a GM, your job is to assemble rosters, perceive financials because it pertains to contracts and participant’s worth, whereas having a wholesome, long-term imaginative and prescient that results in championships. Revenue is definitely an element, not the principle function, however important. Clark’s financial impression is much better than Buecker’s.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark reacts to followers earlier than the WNBA All-Star basketball recreation in Indianapolis on July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, file)
We can definitely have a dialog about which participant is best at present, and who will finally assist lead their respective groups to a championship(s), however I’m with Leslie on this one. As she stated, “I’m going with Caitlin Clark.”
If you issue in the marketability — though Kevin Durant’s media firm, The Boardroom, believes Bueckers is extra marketable than Clark — it is a no-brainer who GMs ought to have picked. Just add this to a protracted record of snubs and disrespect Caitlin Clark has acquired over the previous few years.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
As for stats between the 2 this season, Clark is averaging 22 factors, 4.5 rebounds, and eight assists, whereas Bueckers is averaging 20.7 factors, 2.7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bueckers has been extra environment friendly from three, some declare she’s a greater defender, and she or he clearly takes care of the basketball higher with fewer turnovers, there isn’t any doubt that Clark continues to be making an even bigger general impression on the court docket.
Hopefully, these GMs will sensible up earlier than they’re advised to pack up their stuff.
