With only four games left on the regular-season schedule, the Indiana Fever are on a serious push towards the playoffs, and Caitlin Clark is one of the main reasons for their success. On Friday night, Clark tallied 34 points and dished out 12 assists in a 111-91 win over the Connecticut Sun. The former Iowa star also grabbed five rebounds and recorded three steals, continuing her case as a contender in the WNBA Most Valuable Player race.
She's currently among those in the discussion along with her Fever teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, and the reigning MVP, A'ja Wilson, of the Las Vegas Aces. On Saturday morning, the Fever shared a social media post featuring a significant reason for MVP voters to consider Clark as their choice, highlighting how she has created an average of 41.4 points per game. More news: Candace Parker Calls Out WNBA Refs on Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark Incident That points-created-per-game stat, which she leads the league in, highlights just how good she is as a playmaker.
She is currently third in WNBA scoring with her average of 22.5 points per game and first in assists, averaging 8.4 per game. Many of those assists likely go to her teammate Mitchell, who is currently second in WNBA scoring with 25 points per game. Mitchell is also making field goals at an impressive rate of 51.3% this season.
The Fever have pushed for a co-MVP but also aren't shying away from suggesting that Clark deserves the award in her third season, especially with Indiana's success as they move towards the playoffs. Friday night's 20-point home victory gave the Fever their second consecutive win. After an Atlanta Dream loss to the Portland Fire, Indiana moved into the fourth spot in the WNBA standings and is only a game behind the Las Vegas Aces for third place.
The Aces' Wilson and the Lynx's Miles may have stronger MVP cases right now, not just due to statistics, but also because of where their teams sit in the standings. If either player were to win, it would be a historic feat, with Wilson claiming her fifth, the most ever in WNBA history, or Miles becoming the first Rookie of the Year and MVP in WNBA history. However, Clark also has a strong case, and if she continues to impress down the stretch, it should stir up a serious debate over who most deserves this season's MVP award.
More news: Caitlin Clark, Fever Teammate at Center of Potentially Historic Campaign For more about the Indiana Fever and WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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