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ESPN sports personality David Dennis Jr. gave a pretty unpopular opinion during Thursday's First Take about Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark.
“I don't think that you can make a compelling argument that Caitlin Clark is a top-4 guard in the WNBA," Dennis said during the segment while discussing the WNBA players vote that left her 11th in a tally of guards. "Nobody can at this point."
Of course, a take that hot is what First Take was built for, even if Dennis presents it with the incredibly important, nuanced words of "I don't think," signaling that it's just his opinion and not firebrand ironclad truth shared by everyone watching. He's obviously entitled to his opinion; it's not worth getting mad about, obviously. It's always better to debate the idea with a friendly cadence than get in an uproar over it on the internet. It's not that serious.
However, let's test his theory. Can you make a compelling argument Clark is a top-4 guard in the WNBA?
Clark's historic three seasons in the WNBA, even with substantial time missed for injury, show that she's an elite talent just getting started and one of the league's best players. Just in 2026, she became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points and 500 assists in league history and the fastest to reach 250 points and 50 assists in a single season.
Clark crossed the record for most career 20-point/10-assist games in league history in May. She also now owns the record for most 20-point/5-assist games consecutively in a single WNBA season with six. ESPN just voted her as the third-best player in the entire WNBA behind Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson and Los Angeles Sparks superstar guard Kelsey Plum. Clark was third in media voting for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game in votes; she was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month by the league for her red-hot June streak. She's already established herself as an heir apparent to WNBA legends like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi; that's big.
Want more examples of the records she's broken? Check out a compilation of her career milestones.
Just right now in the WNBA, she's fourth in points per game (20.5) for guards, a tick behind Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey (20.6). She's second in the league with assists per game with 7.9, the top mark for a guard in the WNBA. She's the only player to make the top-5 in both categories. She's fifth among guards in 3-point shots made (2.5 per game), and she's tied with Dallas Wings superstar guard Paige Bueckers for rebounds per game (4).
She does lead the league in turnovers per game (4.6), but Thomas (3.9), breakout Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (3.4), Aces superstar guard Chelsea Gray (3.1) and Plum (3.1) aren't too far behind. All of those players are elite facilitators of offense, meaning they get far more touches on the ball than their peers. That raises the bar for possible turnovers; Clark can clean up that aspect of her game, but the average will always be a bit higher.
Clark's spotty defense will always get her knocked down a peg, but she's probably the most elite facilitator of offense and one of the best pure scorers ever in the WNBA. She's not ranked highly by media personnel for nothing.
So, yes, you can absolutely make a compelling argument she's a top-4 guard in the WNBA. You certainly don't have to, but it's entirely possible to make that argument. She's got a pretty serious claim to one of the top-4 guard spots in the WNBA right now with players like Bueckers, Plum, Miles, Gray, Mabrey, Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell, Dream standouts Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, Aces standout Jackie Young, Washington Mystics standout Sonia Citron, Tempo standout Brittney Sykes and Mercury standout Kahleah Copper.
You could put Clark at the top of that roster if you want; the reasons are perfectly defensible. Dennis Jr. is more than fair in his argument; you don't have to rank Clark as the fourth-best guard. However, you certainly can in more than compelling fashion, too.
She should be able to suit up for the team's Sunday road game against the Aces.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Can you make a compelling argument that Caitlin Clark is a top-4 WNBA guard?
Continue reading...
“I don't think that you can make a compelling argument that Caitlin Clark is a top-4 guard in the WNBA," Dennis said during the segment while discussing the WNBA players vote that left her 11th in a tally of guards. "Nobody can at this point."
Of course, a take that hot is what First Take was built for, even if Dennis presents it with the incredibly important, nuanced words of "I don't think," signaling that it's just his opinion and not firebrand ironclad truth shared by everyone watching. He's obviously entitled to his opinion; it's not worth getting mad about, obviously. It's always better to debate the idea with a friendly cadence than get in an uproar over it on the internet. It's not that serious.
However, let's test his theory. Can you make a compelling argument Clark is a top-4 guard in the WNBA?
Clark's historic three seasons in the WNBA, even with substantial time missed for injury, show that she's an elite talent just getting started and one of the league's best players. Just in 2026, she became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points and 500 assists in league history and the fastest to reach 250 points and 50 assists in a single season.
Clark crossed the record for most career 20-point/10-assist games in league history in May. She also now owns the record for most 20-point/5-assist games consecutively in a single WNBA season with six. ESPN just voted her as the third-best player in the entire WNBA behind Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson and Los Angeles Sparks superstar guard Kelsey Plum. Clark was third in media voting for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game in votes; she was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month by the league for her red-hot June streak. She's already established herself as an heir apparent to WNBA legends like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi; that's big.
Want more examples of the records she's broken? Check out a compilation of her career milestones.
Just right now in the WNBA, she's fourth in points per game (20.5) for guards, a tick behind Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey (20.6). She's second in the league with assists per game with 7.9, the top mark for a guard in the WNBA. She's the only player to make the top-5 in both categories. She's fifth among guards in 3-point shots made (2.5 per game), and she's tied with Dallas Wings superstar guard Paige Bueckers for rebounds per game (4).
She does lead the league in turnovers per game (4.6), but Thomas (3.9), breakout Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (3.4), Aces superstar guard Chelsea Gray (3.1) and Plum (3.1) aren't too far behind. All of those players are elite facilitators of offense, meaning they get far more touches on the ball than their peers. That raises the bar for possible turnovers; Clark can clean up that aspect of her game, but the average will always be a bit higher.
Clark's spotty defense will always get her knocked down a peg, but she's probably the most elite facilitator of offense and one of the best pure scorers ever in the WNBA. She's not ranked highly by media personnel for nothing.
So, yes, you can absolutely make a compelling argument she's a top-4 guard in the WNBA. You certainly don't have to, but it's entirely possible to make that argument. She's got a pretty serious claim to one of the top-4 guard spots in the WNBA right now with players like Bueckers, Plum, Miles, Gray, Mabrey, Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell, Dream standouts Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, Aces standout Jackie Young, Washington Mystics standout Sonia Citron, Tempo standout Brittney Sykes and Mercury standout Kahleah Copper.
You could put Clark at the top of that roster if you want; the reasons are perfectly defensible. Dennis Jr. is more than fair in his argument; you don't have to rank Clark as the fourth-best guard. However, you certainly can in more than compelling fashion, too.
When will Clark play next?
She should be able to suit up for the team's Sunday road game against the Aces.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Can you make a compelling argument that Caitlin Clark is a top-4 WNBA guard?
Continue reading...
