Fever fans won't like Caitlin Clark's new ranking among WNBA players originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

ESPN dropped its list of the top 50 WNBA players before the 2026 season -- and Caitlin Clark's placement on this ranking of the league's elite has prompted some strong takes online.

Clark, a two-time All-Star in as many seasons, missed much of the 2025 campaign through injury and watched as the Indiana Fever embarked on a surprise WNBA semifinals run without her. It means Clark has something to prove in 2026, even though her stardom is well-known around the world.

Clark ranked 10th: "You can't be taken seriously at all"

ESPN's Kareem Copeland was full of praise for Clark as she placed 10th in the ranking -- a strong place to be for a player who missed more than two-thirds of her second WNBA season.

"(Clark) became one of the league's best passers and long-range shooters the moment she stepped onto a WNBA court, and was just getting started when she was named Rookie of the Year and first-team all-WNBA in 2024," Copeland wrote. "Injuries limited her to only 13 games in 2025, but she was still named an All-Star."

Even still, fans took exception to Clark's placement on the list, with many arguing that she is better than Olympic gold medalists and WNBA champions like A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young.

"Paige Bueckers, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Alisha Gray even Alyssa Thomas are not above CC. What is this harebrained nonsense?" asked @AdemolaDhemmie on X.

"Calling other players the face (of the league) than using (Clark) as the face of the article is hilarious. Not to mention all the other terrible takes in this article," @Tyfunk98 insisted.

"Thomas and Paige above CC, be serious for a second lmaoo," @xkath_x1 said.

"You bait (with) CC but you call (Bueckers) & A’ja (Wilson) face of W…you can’t be taken seriously at all," @angelayoho1 said.

Clark rounding out a subjective top-10 list of the WNBA's best players is hardly an insult, no matter what is said online. It is up to her in 2026 to silence any doubts and continue to grow her game as she seeks to lead the Fever to a championship.

More WNBA news:

• Dream's Angel Reese gets position update after preseason debut struggles

• Angel Reese receives warm welcome back to Chicago with standing ovation: ‘Grateful for my opportunities’ with Sky

• Fever's Caitlin Clark has a new job she can add to her resume

• Fever make Caitlin Clark contract decision before new WNBA season