WNBA GMs Choose Caitlin Clark as the Top Franchise Building Block

In the 2025 WNBA General Manager (GM) Survey, Caitlin Clark, a point guard for the Indiana Fever, was overwhelmingly voted as the best player to build a franchise around. Clark secured the majority of votes, surpassing Las Vegas Aces star center A’ja Wilson, who came in second with 33%. Additionally, Clark was acknowledged as one of the top point guards, tying with Chelsea Gray from the Aces, with both receiving 50% of the votes.

At just 23 years old, the Des Moines native has already made a significant impact in the WNBA. Last season, Clark was honored as the Rookie of the Year, selected for the All-WNBA First Team, and participated in the All-Star Game. She also earned 33% of the votes as the best shooting guard, beating New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride, who both garnered 25%.

During the previous season, Clark led the league in assists with an average of 8.4 per game and made the most 3-pointers, hitting 122 in 40 games. On the other hand, Chelsea Gray was recognized as the top passer (75%) and the player with the highest basketball IQ (36%). Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier was favored as the likely MVP (67%), while Seattle Storm’s Dominique Malonga was considered the most promising rookie for the next five years (60%). Dallas Wings’ top draft pick Paige Bueckers was chosen as the favorite for Rookie of the Year.

Clark made headlines during her rookie campaign, playing all 40 games as a starter and averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while maintaining a shooting accuracy of 41.7% from the field, 34.4% from beyond the arc, and 90.6% from the free-throw line. Notably, Clark became the first WNBA player to tally at least 50 points and 25 assists over two consecutive games. She also broke Diana Taurasi’s record for most 25-5-5 games as a rookie.

One of Clark’s standout performances came during Indiana’s 110-109 victory over the Dallas Wings on September 15, where she scored a career-high 35 points, shooting 45.5% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range, and a perfect 9-for-9 at the foul line. As a rookie, she set the WNBA single-season assists record while leading in total assists (337), games played (40), and turnovers (223).

GMs also predicted that Clark’s Indiana Fever would be the most exciting team to watch this season (75%), the most improved squad (42%), and the franchise with the best offseason moves (64%) after acquiring DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham.

The WNBA’s 29th season is set to begin, with Minnesota playing Dallas as Paige Bueckers makes her professional debut. ABC will air a Saturday doubleheader featuring the reigning champions New York Liberty against the two-time titleholders Las Vegas Aces, followed by Indiana hosting the Chicago Sky.