The WNBA revealed a historic turnout in the first round of voting for this year’s All-Star Game, proving once again that the Caitlin Clark effect is real.
Clark has received the second-most votes behind two-time MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. However, she has friendly company atop the ballot.
Despite sporting the eighth-best record in the 12-team WNBA, four Indiana Fever players, including 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston (fourth), NaLyssa Smith (17th) and Kelsey Mitchell (18th), are among the top 20 vote-getters.
Aside from Clark, Angel Reese (seventh) of the Chicago Sky was the only rookie to crack the top 10 . The rest of the field is a who’s who of stars, including including two-time MVP Breanna Stewart (fourth), three-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale (fifth) and two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum (8th).
Overall, All-Star votes are up significantly from last season, with this year’s first round already topping the total amount of votes from 2023 alone.
While this year’s list has its fair share of veteran star power, it’s hard not to attribute the rise in votes to Clark’s arrival.
After garnering incredible, record-breaking ratings in college, the ex-Iowa star has brought similar numbers of eyes to the WNBA product. On June 18, Clark’s head-to-head battle with Reese was the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years.
Through controversy and unreachable expectations, Clark has handled the pressures of becoming the face of the league about as well as could be expected. Meanwhile, the votes she’s received aren’t empty, as she’s proven worthy of them on the court.
Just 16 games into her pro career, Clark is averaging 16.3 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds. Likewise, she recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 250 points and 100 assists.
