WNBA legend slams general managers for disrespecting Caitlin Clark in annual survey

Caitlin Clark goes down again, and once again the injury is being downplayed as

Who would you rather start a WNBA franchise with: Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers? That was a question in this year’s annual general managers survey conducted by the league prior to the season opener. 

Before the 2025 season, executives were asked which player they would want to start a franchise with, and 50% said Clark. This year, with Clark heading into her third season after an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, playing only 12 games, and Bueckers coming off an impressive rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year honors, GMs’ minds changed drastically.

Clark received only 20% of the vote, while Bueckers led the voting with 33%. This is where WNBA legend, Lisa Leslie comes in. 

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Leslie, who will soon have a statue of herself erected outside of Crypto.com arena, said those general managers who didn’t vote for Clark, "are probably gonna get fired." 

She didn’t pull any punches as she expounded on her response to the survey saying, "This is a money business and the money is about Caitlin Clark."

Leslie is spot on here. Reports say, Caitlin Clark has driven roughly 25%+ of the WNBA’s recent economic activity over the last two seasons. Clark has been the main driving factor for record attendance, record ratings, record merchandise sales, massive franchise appreciation, a $2.2B media deal, expansion fee inflation, and more. She’s not only the Indiana Fever’s, but the WNBA’s golden