The WNBA All-Star ballots were released recently, drawing controversy after Caitlin Clark was placed 11th among guards by her fellow players.
Amid the controversy surrounding Clark’s ranking among her fellow players, WNBA legend Candace Parker has called out the players for how they voted in the All-Star ballot.
Candace Parker Calls Out WNBA Players for Having Caitlin Clark 11th Best in All-Star Voting
A slew of controversies emerged as the WNBA All-Star voting lists were released. High among them were Clark and Kelsey Plum, who ranked 11th and 12th, respectively, among guards.
Parker questioned the players who voted Clark and Plum so low and compared it to how she would never let rivalry be a reason not to place Diana Taurasi on her ballot.
“It’s just like being stupid. As much as I did not like Diana Taurasi, there is no way I’m not going to write her as an All-Star,” Parker said on “Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston.”
Parker also said that the players who decided to vote Clark and Plum in those positions had “insecurities” and called for them to “go to a therapist.”
“People need to look in the mirror and realize you’ve got some insecurities if you’re sitting down and putting in Caitlin Clark as the 11th best guard. Y’all need to go to a therapist and figure out what childhood issues you have. Like, come on… This is crazy,” she added.
The list had Paige Bueckers as the top-ranked guard among players, followed by Rhyne Howard in second, with Minnesota Lynx star Olivia Miles taking third place. Clark finished second and third in the fan and media rankings for guards, respectively. As a result, she was named as one of the starters for the WNBA All-Star game.
Amid the debate over Clark’s performances, the Indiana Fever superstar is enjoying another stellar season in the WNBA. The 24-year-old is averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 43.0% from the field and 34.4% from the three-point line. She is the fourth-highest scorer and second on the list of assists leaders in the league.
The controversy is the latest in a line of several signs of a growing divide between the WNBA and one of its biggest superstars. Clark has had to face increasingly aggressive defending from opposition teams in recent weeks, and many analysts and political figures have called out the league for not doing a better job of protecting her.
