The 2026 WNBA season tips off tomorrow night, and the biggest individual storyline heading in is whether Caitlin Clark can finally get her hands on the MVP award. The Fever star spent most of last season on the sideline with a series of injuries, playing just 13 games.
Now she is back, healthy, and surrounded by the best roster Indiana has put around her since she arrived in 2024.
Sheryl Swoopes Says Caitlin Clark Has A’ja Wilson to Beat For MVP Award
Sheryl Swoopes, the three-time MVP and one of the most respected voices in the history of the sport, was asked about Clark’s chances ahead of opening night, and her answer was quite blunt and direct.
“She’s gotta go and take it from A’ja Wilson. A’ja ain’t just going to let it go like that. But if Caitlin can stay healthy, I think she has a really good shot,” Swoopes said on Hard Rock Bet.
It is hard to argue with either part of that statement. Wilson is entering the 2026 season as the reigning back-to-back MVP and four-time winner overall, coming off a 2025 campaign where she averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while leading the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA championship.
She signed a three-year, $5 million supermax deal in the offseason, the largest contract in league history at the time of signing, and there is no version of this season where she eases up.
The condition Swoopes attached to her comment, staying healthy, is the only real thing standing between Clark and a legitimate run at the award. When Clark has been on the floor in her two professional seasons, she has been one of the best players in the league.
Her combination of shooting range, playmaking ability, and floor spacing makes Indiana genuinely difficult to defend. This year’s roster has removed the offensive burden from resting entirely on her shoulders. Kelsey Mitchell is back. Aliyah Boston is locked down on a franchise extension.
Swoopes also weighed in on the Fever as a championship contender, calling Indiana one of the most dangerous teams in the league if everything clicks.
That is a meaningful endorsement from someone who played during the league’s peak years and won four chips herself.
Clark’s first chance to make a statement comes tomorrow night, May 8, when Indiana hosts Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings in what is already one of the most anticipated regular-season openers in WNBA history.
