The Math Doesn't Add Up: Caitlin Clark, 19 Missing MVP Ballots, and a Question the WNBA Should Answer

October 11, 2026

Let's start by making something perfectly clear.

A'ja Wilson deserved to win the 2026 WNBA Most Valuable Player award.

Her fifth MVP trophy is a historic achievement. She averaged 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game. She dominated offensively, anchored her team's defense, and continued building one of the greatest careers in women's basketball history.

Congratulations to A'ja Wilson. She's earned every bit of the recognition.

But this article isn't about who won.

It's about 19 people who apparently didn't believe Caitlin Clark belonged among the five most valuable players in the WNBA.

And that's where the math starts getting difficult to explain.

Let's Look at the Numbers

In her third WNBA season, Caitlin Clark averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 assists, and four rebounds per game.

She became the first player in WNBA history to average at least 20 points and eight assists in a season.

Not the first guard. Not the first player under 25. The first player. Period.

Clark finished third in the league in scoring and second in assists, combining elite scoring with a level of playmaking the WNBA had never seen quite like this.

And the Indiana Fever? They produced the most efficient offense in league history, with Clark and teammate Kelsey Mitchell at the center of it.

These aren't popularity statistics. They're basketball statistics. Measurable, verifiable accomplishments against the best players in the world.

Yet when the MVP ballots were counted, Clark finished fourth with 212 points and just one first-place vote.

That alone might not be particularly controversial. A'ja Wilson was exceptional. Olivia Miles delivered a remarkable rookie season. Kelsey Mitchell put together one of the greatest scoring seasons ever by a guard.

There were legitimate candidates with legitimate arguments.

But here's the number that deserves far more attention.

Nineteen voters didn't include Caitlin Clark anywhere in their top five.

Not first. Not second. Not third. Not fourth. Not even fifth.

Of the 74 sportswriters and broadcasters entrusted with evaluating the league's most valuable players, more than one in four left Clark off their ballots entirely.

How?

THEY HAD THEIR VOTE.

WE HAVE OURS.

For the fans who never needed a ballot.

SHOP OUR MVP. 22 →

Even the Experts Recognized Her Value

Before the results were announced, CBS Sports analyst and official MVP voter Jack Maloney published his ballot, placing Clark third.

His reasoning was particularly revealing.

He recognized that Clark and Mitchell powered the most efficient offense in WNBA history, but gave Clark the edge because of her unprecedented combination of scoring and playmaking.

That's an important distinction.

Because while Mitchell scored more points, Clark was responsible for creating opportunities for everyone around her.

She wasn't simply finishing possessions. She was orchestrating them.

The impact of a great point guard doesn't always appear in the scoring column. Sometimes it's the pass before the assist, the defender drawn away from a teammate, or the defensive attention that creates an open shot elsewhere.

And Clark was doing all of it while scoring more than 22 points per game herself.

That matters when we're discussing value.

The Debate Isn't About A'ja Wilson

Some will undoubtedly interpret any criticism of the MVP voting as disrespect toward Wilson.

It isn't. Wilson's numbers, consistency, defensive contributions, and leadership make an overwhelming case for her fifth award.

But recognizing Wilson's greatness doesn't require diminishing Clark's accomplishments. Nor does celebrating Olivia Miles or Kelsey Mitchell.

There is room in this league for multiple extraordinary players to receive the recognition they've earned. And that's precisely why the 19 missing ballots are so difficult to understand. Nobody is suggesting every voter should have ranked Clark first.

But are we really supposed to believe that nearly 26% of the voters couldn't find a place for a historically productive player anywhere among their five selections?

What Are We Actually Measuring?

Perhaps this is the larger question the WNBA needs to confront. What does Most Valuable Player actually mean? Is it the best individual statistical season? The player with the greatest two-way impact? The best player on the best team? The athlete who makes everyone around her better?

Reasonable people can disagree about those standards. And they should. That's part of what makes sports interesting. But if voters are evaluating players using dramatically different definitions of value, shouldn't fans have a better understanding of those criteria?

ESPN's Linda Cohn has already publicly questioned the voting process, while other commentators have pointed to the extraordinary disconnect between Clark's production and her absence from so many ballots.

There are also fair criticisms of Clark's season. Her turnovers were high, and Mitchell's scoring efficiency was exceptional. Those considerations deserve to be part of the conversation. But being imperfect isn't the same as being outside the league's five most valuable players. And a ballot omission should be supported by more than a vague explanation.

This Is Bigger Than One Player

Caitlin Clark doesn't need an MVP trophy to validate what she's accomplished. The numbers speak for themselves.

Neither does the WNBA need to manufacture recognition for its most recognizable stars. Awards should be earned on the court, not through merchandise sales, television ratings, or social media followers.

But credibility matters. When a league asks fans to celebrate individual excellence, those fans have every right to ask how that excellence is evaluated. Especially when a player delivers a season unlike any in league history and nearly a quarter of the voting panel doesn't acknowledge her among the five best candidates.

Maybe those 19 voters have compelling explanations. Maybe they valued defense, efficiency, team success, or other contributions differently. That's their prerogative.

But fans deserve to hear those explanations rather than being expected to accept the results without question. Because this isn't about Caitlin Clark needing everyone to vote for her.

It's about the integrity and consistency of the process used to recognize the league's best players.

A'ja Wilson won the MVP. Deservedly so.

Caitlin Clark made history. Undeniably so.

And 19 voters decided that history wasn't worth a single spot on their ballots.

The math doesn't add up.

What do YOU think? THS welcomes fan commentary. Leave a comment here →