{"id":298380,"date":"2025-11-18T04:07:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T04:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/298380\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T04:07:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T04:07:08","slug":"aces-hc-becky-hammon-delivers-clear-verdict-on-caitlin-clark-vs-aja-wilson-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/298380\/","title":{"rendered":"Aces HC Becky Hammon Delivers Clear Verdict on Caitlin Clark vs. A\u2019ja Wilson Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Caitlin Clark brought attention to women\u2019s basketball like no one ever before. But with all the fan following she commands, some questions keep resurfacing: Is she already the face of the league? And how does that stack up against A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s iron grip on the game? And that\u2019s exactly the conversation Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon stepped into.<\/p>\n

Watch What\u2019s Trending Now!<\/p>\n

During her recent appearance on CNBC<\/a>, Hammon was asked by host Alex Sherman if it creates an awkward dynamic when Wilson is widely viewed as the best player in the league, but Clark is seen as the face of the league. Replying to which Hammon made her stance clear. \u201cI think people want to make more of it than what it is. Let the numbers do the talking and the winning do the talking. Caitlin had a tough year, obviously, with injuries this year; she\u2019s going to be a tremendous player in this league. There\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But for the Aces coach, Wilson is still the best player, as she further added, \u201cA\u2019ja Wilson is the best player on the planet, and you got the hardware and the numbers and everything to back it up. But Caitlin Clark bringing in the fanfare. I mean, she was one of the most exciting players I\u2019ve ever seen on a collegiate level, and I would assume a healthy year for her. She\u2019s going to be a great Pro for a long time. So it\u2019s exciting for our league. But right now, A\u2019ja Wilson is the 6\u20194 most dominant player in the league by far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"article-image\"<\/p>\n

Imago<\/p>\n

When Caitlin Clark entered the league in 2024, she was expected to change the league for the better, and that\u2019s exactly what she did. With her arrival, the number of viewers surged, more and more brand deals started to pour in, and the league and its players got the much-deserved attention. In her rookie season, Clark was averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, helping the Indiana Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. In the 2025 season, everyone expected her to lead the franchise to the championship, but the universe had other plans.<\/p>\n

The \u201cMost Powerful Women in Sports,\u201d named by Forbes<\/a>, was anchoring the Fever\u2019s offense, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. However, her season was cut short after a string of injuries. Still, even with Clark\u2019s influence and explosive start, the conversation shifts quickly when you look at what A\u2019ja Wilson has been doing on the floor.<\/p>\n

In the last season, A\u2019ja Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game and ultimately led the Aces to their third championship. With her veteran experience, Wilson has racked up four WNBA MVP awards and won two Olympic gold medals. And that\u2019s where the distinction becomes clear. Still, many argue that had it not been for the injuries, Clark would have had a clear case for the MVP, a much stronger one than her rookie season.<\/p>\n

By the time September 2024 rolled around, Clark was finishing her two-pointers at an elite rate and was actually more efficient inside the arc than A\u2019ja Wilson. She was also doing more on her own than anyone else. No player had a higher share of unassisted baskets, which basically means she was creating her own points and setting up everyone around her. That\u2019s a big part of why she ended her rookie season averaging more points per game than any player in WNBA history in her rookie season.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports<\/p>\n

Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

As for Wilson\u2019s rookie year? She was averaging 20.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. That difference in stats, though, tells you something Clark had hinted at earlier. \u201cWe\u2019re quite different players,\u201d she\u2019d said in June 2025. Still and all, here\u2019s how their head-to-head stats match up:<\/p>\n

21.4PTS\/G18.59.3TRB\/G5.52.3AST\/G8.51.3STL\/G1.42.0BLK\/G0.6.498FG%.405.3653P%.329.821FT%.887.508eFG%.502<\/p>\n

Clearly, Caitlin Clark is more than just the force pulling new eyes to the sport, while Wilson also remains the standard everyone else is measured against. So, saying \u201cwho\u2019s better\u201d depends a lot on what you value more.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the injury update on Caitlin Clark?<\/p>\n

Dropping a much-needed update on her recovery, Caitlin Clark recently appeared at the LPGA\u2019s Annika Pro-Am and finally gave fans the news they\u2019d been waiting for. \u201cI haven\u2019t been able to get out there with some of the injuries that I was dealing with. But now I\u2019m feeling back to 100%,\u201d the Indiana Fever star shared.<\/p>\n

Her groin injury cut her 2025 WNBA season short, leaving fans disappointed that they couldn\u2019t watch one of the league\u2019s biggest names finish what she\u2019d started. But seeing Clark healthy again, moving confidently, smiling, and back in competitive spaces, has reignited excitement for her return.<\/p>\n

And while Fever fans are longingly eyeing the 2026 season, they might get to see the Fever star take the court before that.<\/p>\n

The 2026 World Cup qualifying games are scheduled for March 11\u201317 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Clark has already dropped hints that she wants to be part of that squad, so it\u2019s very possible that this tournament ends up being her first appearance on a court since that game against the Connecticut Sun in July.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some USA Basketball stuff I need to get ready for. And I need to be able to find some runs, and ways to play five-on-five, just so I can kind of get that feel back\u2026 So that\u2019s probably going to be my main focus, is just feeling 100% again, and having that confidence in my body, too,\u201d she said back in October.<\/p>\n

As Clark ramps up, the question now becomes simple: Will she return stronger than ever \u2014 and ready to pick up the debate right where she left it?<\/p>\n

Share this with a friend:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Caitlin Clark brought attention to women\u2019s basketball like no one ever before. But with all the fan following…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":298381,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":{"0":"post-298380","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-wnba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298380\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}