The WNBA is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season. As part of that celebration, ESPN released its ranking of the ten most dynamic playmakers in league history. Not a stat sheet ranking.
It isn’t exactly a leaderboard of chances created or assists made. It’s a subjective ranking by ESPN writer Michael Voepel of the best and most creative players in the league over the last three decades.
Caitlin Clark Ranked at 4th as Chelsea Gray Takes Top Spot
Caitlin Clark came in at number four. She finished behind Chelsea Gray, Ticha Penicheiro, and Sue Bird. Diana Taurasi, one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, checked in at number seven.
Clark, who has played just 58 career games entering this season, ranked ahead of Taurasi. That alone turned heads. But it was what ESPN’s Michael Voepel wrote about Clark’s future that really lit up the internet.
Voepel made his opinion clear on why the Indiana Fever star should be fourth. “The youngest player on this list, Clark, 24, already has more 20-point, 10-assist games than any player in WNBA history (12),” he wrote.
“The fact she has played only 58 career games was no impediment to her being in the top five here; in fact, it’s probably the only thing that kept her from being even higher. By the time Clark’s career concludes, it’s hard to see her not being No. 1, especially since she is the definition of dynamic.”
Voepel added that Clark stretches defenses to their breaking point with her multidimensional scoring and passing, and brushed aside critics who point to her 5.4 career turnover average, noting that the risk-taking is part of what makes her elite.
The numbers back it all up. Clark set the WNBA single-game assists record with 19 in 2024, breaking the mark set by Courtney Vandersloot, who also made the top ten list. Clark averaged 8.4 assists in her Rookie of the Year season, 8.8 last season despite appearing in only 13 games due to injury.
Chelsea Gray taking the top spot will not surprise anyone who has watched her operate for the Las Vegas Aces. Nicknamed the “Point Gawd,” Gray is both a clutch shooter and clutch passer, making her a nightmare for opposition defenses.
A four-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, she was drafted 11th overall in 2014. She executes set plays flawlessly and creates something out of nothing when the play breaks down.
Clark is currently averaging 23.8 points and 9.0 assists per game in the 2026 season. She added her record-tying 12th game with at least 20 points and 10 assists in a win over the Seattle Storm last Sunday.
Voepel clearly mentions that Clark has what it takes to take the throne from Gray eventually, considering where her career seems to be heading.
