Caitlin Clark moved up one place to No. 2 in ESPN’s latest ranking of the WNBA’s top 50 players, a list released Thursday as teams prepare for a break in the regular-season schedule for the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
The Indiana Fever guard had been listed third in the previous update in July. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson stayed at No. 1.
ESPN’s writers judged players on how they have performed this season, taking into account injuries, roles and team situations. The numbers used for the rankings ran through Tuesday’s games.
In the write-up on Clark, Kareem Copeland noted: “Clark ranks No. 3 in the league in points per game, No. 1 in assists (tied with Alyssa Thomas) and her gravity has helped Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have career seasons. The streak ended over the weekend, but Clark recently tied her own WNBA record with six consecutive games of 20-plus points and five-plus assists. She also set a career high with eight 3-pointers in a game last week, moving past Diana Taurasi into second place in WNBA history for most career 3-point field goals during a player’s first three seasons.”
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart sits third. Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles is fourth. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers rounds out the top five.
Clark is putting up 22.1 points, 8.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game this season, along with 0.9 steals. She is shooting 45 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range, both career highs.
Those figures have put the 24-year-old squarely in the Most Valuable Player discussion with Wilson, who is averaging 26.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while leading the league in blocks.
Clark’s 45-point game earlier this month stands out as one of the strongest individual performances of her three seasons in the league. On Sunday she scored 37 points and made eight three-pointers in a Fever win over the Chicago Sky.
Indiana has already locked up a playoff spot and remains in the mix for a deep postseason run. Clark has looked as healthy as she has in some time after an injury-shortened 2025 campaign.
As long as she is available, the Fever have a realistic chance to compete for the championship.
Most teams still have five to seven regular-season games left once the World Cup break ends.
Wilson has produced the kind of numbers that keep her on pace for a fifth MVP trophy. A strong close from Clark could still tighten that race.
Clark’s presence on the floor has opened opportunities for her teammates. Mitchell is enjoying one of the best scoring seasons of her career, and Boston has posted career-high scoring totals while holding down the middle.
The ESPN list is the third such ranking of the 2026 season, following earlier versions before the year began and at midseason.
The Fever’s recent stretch has included several high-output nights from Clark, including multiple games with at least 20 points and five assists. That consistency, combined with improved shooting, is what moved her up the board.
Wilson’s Aces are not the top team in the standings right now, yet she remains the player the panel sees as the league’s best. Stewart continues to produce at a high level even as the Liberty have fallen short of preseason expectations.
Miles, a high draft pick, has steadily improved and is a big reason Minnesota sits near the top of the league. Bueckers has carried extra responsibility in Dallas and helped the Wings reach the playoffs.
With the regular season winding down, the rankings offer one snapshot of a tight race at the top. How Clark and Wilson finish the final stretch will shape both the MVP vote and how their teams enter the postseason.
