It’s clear that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has earned the respect and admiration of former NFL star Robert Griffin III and legendary college basketball announcer Dick Vitale.
Clark led the Fever to a thrilling 95-91 overtime victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, recording 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting, along with three rebounds and nine assists. It was her 23rd career game with at least 25 points and five assists, the fifth-most in WNBA history.
The Fever All-Star improved her season averages to 22.0 points and 8.3 assists per game. She remains third in the league in scoring and first in assists.
Following her performance, both Griffin and Vitale were convinced that Clark has firmly established herself as a frontrunner for MVP.
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“Caitlin Clark 26 pts, 9 assists, 3 Rebs and a big time win over the Atlanta Dream,” Griffin wrote on social media. “Caitlin Clark should be the front runner for WNBA MVP. Nobody impacts the game more with scoring & assists. 3rd in PPG 1st in Assists/game.”
Griffin also mentioned how Clark is on track to become the first player in WNBA history to finish in the top three in scoring while leading the league in assists.
Vitale, for his part, shared a similar sentiment. The ESPN icon shared that Clark’s scoring and ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates make her a legitimate MVP contender.
“The more I analyze what @CaitlinClark22 has been doing regularly for the @IndianaFever & I w/o a doubt believe her production in scoring & creating opportunities with her passing skills warrant Caitlin to be in the hunt for MVP honors in the @WNBA,” Vitale stated.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson remains the favorite to win MVP, but there’s no denying that Clark has made a strong case for the award as well.
Beyond the individual statistics, Clark also has the team record to be in the conversation. Indiana boasts a 23-12 record, good for fourth in the standings. The team is only half a game behind Wilson and the Aces.
