Retired ESPN Anchor Makes MVP Case for Caitlin Clark

A'ja Wilson is the runaway favorite to win her third consecutive WNBA MVP award, but Caitlin Clark received an endorsement to capture the hardware instead.

Key points

• Linda Cohn, who concluded a 34-year run with ESPN at the end of June, argued that Clark deserves more MVP consideration.
• Clark has played her way into the conversation by averaging 22.1 points and a league-leading 8.3 assists per game in her third season.
• "If I had a vote, I would vote for her because nobody touches the ball more than her, " Cohn remarked of Clark on Yahoo Sports Daily.
• Cohn additionally believes Clark's Fever teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, warrants more MVP recognition.
• Even if Clark justifies prominent placement on the MVP ballot, it's hard to argue against Wilson winning her fifth MVP award in the last seven seasons.

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Linda Cohn, who concluded a 34-year run with ESPN at the end of June, argued that Clark deserves more MVP consideration. The former SportsCenter anchor explained why she would choose the Indiana Fever guard.

"If I had a vote, I would vote for her because nobody touches the ball more than her, " Cohn remarked of Clark on Yahoo Sports Daily. "The offense goes through her. I saw a stat that was remarkable. In WNBA history, she creates — either with her assists or with her scoring — 40.5 points is the average of an Indiana Fever game. That's how much she impacts the game."

Cohn additionally believes Clark's Fever teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, warrants more MVP recognition. Mitchell is second to Wilson with 24.3 points per game, leading Cohn to call her and Clark the game's "best tandem."

Clark has played her way into the conversation by averaging 22.1 points and a league-leading 8.3 assists per game in her third season. The 24-year-old was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after tallying 77 points and 29 rebounds in three Fever victories.

Cohn isn't alone in beating the MVP drum for Clark. USA Today columnist Christine Brennan. This person authored a best-selling book regarding Clark, called it "undeniable" that she at least belongs in the top three. The Athletic's Annie Costabile and Sabreena Merchant additionally wondered if Clark is getting overlooked in MVP negotiations that have mostly considered Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles a clear but distant second to Wilson.

Even if Clark justifies prominent placement on the MVP ballot, it's hard to argue against Wilson winning her fifth MVP award in the last seven seasons. For Cohn, it boils down to how one determines a player's value.

"Caitlin does so much, " Cohn remarked. "And what does the word mean, most valuable? I know A'ja Wilson, my goodness. We know what she does. She's a machine. The stats are remarkable. She leads in scoring average and rebounding average and all of that. We obtain that. She's a dominant player; she's one of the all-time greats. But. It's not most stats for a player. It's most valuable player."

Taken together, the developments around retired ESPN Anchor Makes MVP Case for Caitlin Clark point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.