Should You Bet on Caitlin Clark to Win the 2026 WNBA MVP Award?
In the modern era of women’s basketball, no player has generated more viewership and interest than Caitlin Clark. The sharpshooting guard from Iowa dazzled for the home Hawkeyes in college and was taken first overall in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever in 2024.
Established players gave Clark a particularly hard time during her rookie year, but she still led the league in assists per game (8.4) while scoring 19.2 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting, and was named Rookie of the Year. Clark was on pace to post similar numbers in 2025 before a series of injuries ended her campaign after 13 games.
Coming into the 2026 season with a clean bill of health, Clark could be poised for a huge season with Indiana slated to open action May 9 against the Dallas Wings.
Caitlin Clark 2026 WNBA Futures Odds
- Caitlin Clark to Win MVP
- Indiana Fever to Win WNBA Title
- Indiana Fever to Reach Playoffs
- Indiana Fever Regular Season Win Total
Clark finished fourth in WNBA MVP voting two years ago as a rookie and she opens as the favorite to win the award at most books, just ahead of four-time MVP A’ja Wilson , of the Las Vegas Aces. ESPN lists Clark as the 10th-best player in the league behind several other MVP candidates, and just ahead of Indiana Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell.
Indiana is expected to take a step up this season with the third-shortest odds to win the WNBA title. A strong regular season from her team would go a long way toward Clark earning postseason awards consideration. Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces are not the favorites after winning three of the past four titles. The New York Liberty are ahead of the Aces at most books.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Fever has odds of +200 to make the WNBA Finals and -160 odds to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana is tied with the Aces at +450 and trailing the Liberty (+300) in the market to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Note that Wilson is also the lead candidate for Defensive Player of the Year followed by Clark’s teammate, Aliyah Boston . Fever coach Stephanie White (+400) is the favorite to win Coach of the Year.
Caitlin Clark 2026 WNBA MVP Odds
Clark is just ahead of Wilson in the WNBA MVP market and both players are well ahead of the other lead contenders. Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier is the only other player with odds shorter than 10/1. Former UConn stars Breanna Stewart , now starring for the Liberty, and 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers are the other favorites with odds around 15/1.
Because of Clark’s popularity, DraftKings is offering a proposition to take the entire Field of MVP candidates at -330 odds against Clark at +240 before the WNBA season tips off Friday, May 8.
Other 2026 WNBA MVP Contenders
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
Wilson is a dominant two-way force at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. The South Caroline native has won Defensive Player of the Year in three of the past four seasons and finished second in 2024 while winning another MVP. Wilson has averaged 21.4 points per game over eight WNBA seasons and is the highest-paid player in the league for good reason.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota
Last year, Collier was the preseason favorite to win MVP and she finished second behind Wilson with 18 first-place tallies. In her seventh season, Collier became the second player in WNBA history to post 50/40/90 percent shooting splits, joining 2019 MVP Elena Delle Donne in elite company. The former No. 6 overall pick won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and was first-team all-defense last year.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas
Bueckers could stake her claim as the best point guard in the WNBA this year, and she made a statement in the preseason with 20 points in the first half against Clark’s Fever. The first overall pick in 2025 didn’t disappoint with averages of 19.2 points and 5.4 assists per game last year, but the Wings finished seventh in the Western Conference at 10-34, so a lack of team success could hurt her MVP candidacy.
Breanna Stewart, New York
The 2018 and 2023 MVP finished among the top three candidates for six straight seasons before missing a month of the 2025 season and finishing ninth in MVP voting. Stewart looked sharp during the offseason, winning titles in the Unrivaled league and EuroLeague and the 6-foot-4 forward should return to form as a two-way force for the Liberty.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York
With the Liberty favored to win the title this year, it makes sense that they have two elite players among the top eight candidates for MVP. Although she only missed five games, Ionescu dealt with several injuries last year that might have hurt her performance. The first overall pick in 2020 shot well below her career average from 3-point range (29%) but still averaged 18.2 points and 5.7 assists per game last year.
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix
Thomas is a strong veteran who played 11 seasons with the Connecticut Sun before joining the Phoenix Mercury in 2025. She finished third in MVP voting and fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year race after averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and a league-high 9.2 assists in her new role. Thomas generated a whopping 892 points off a league-record 357 assists last season and ESPN lists her as the second-best player in the league behind Wilson.
Should You Bet on Caitlin Clark to Win the 2026 WNBA MVP Award?
While she is a game-breaking shooter and elite passer, Clark is likely overvalued in the MVP market. Injury concerns aside, it would take a magical season from the guard to offset her limited defensive impact compared to some of the other top-tier contenders in the MVP race.
Collier was knocking on the door last year with historical shooting, Thomas flourished in her new setting and could continue to dominate for the Mercury, and Wilson is always a threat to sway voters with another steadily awesome campaign.
At the current prices, Collier seems like the best value at near 9/1 odds and it would make sense to double down with a wager on the field (-330) against Clark. Collier had a fantastic season after suffering a traumatic ankle injury in the 2024 WNBA Finals. The Lynx rank fifth in WNBA Championship odds and the electric two-way guard could lift them to a top three finish in the competitive Western Conference.
Best Bet: Napheesa Collier
Photo Credit: AP/Michael Dwyer
