Caitlin Clark left off 19 WNBA MVP ballots despite historic season as A’ja Wilson wins fifth award

Caitlin Clark received one first-place vote for WNBA MVP after producing a season nobody in the league had managed before.

And that might not even be the most ridiculous part of the results.

Nineteen voters didn't put her on their ballots at all.

The WNBA announced Thursday that A’ja Wilson won her record fifth MVP award, receiving 65 of the 74 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles finished second, followed by Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and Clark.

CAITLIN CLARK SAYS SHE BLOCKS SOCIAL MEDIA HATE AND ENJOYS HOSTILE WNBA ROAD CROWDS Clark appeared on 55 ballots, receiving one first-place vote, six second-place votes, 20 third-place votes, 16 fourth-place votes and 12 fifth-place votes.

She finished with 212 points, well behind Miles’ 442 and Mitchell’s 287.

Wilson had an outstanding season and a compelling case to win.

But apparently, more than a quarter of the voters watched Clark this year and decided five other players deserved recognition ahead of her .

I'd love to hear those explanations.

Clark averaged 22.3 points and 8.3 assists per game, becoming the first WNBA player to finish a season averaging at least 20 points and eight assists.

Combining her own baskets and free throws with the points teammates scored from her assists, Clark created an average of 41.2 points per game.

According to the WNBA’s own end-of-season review, that was the highest average in league history.

That's a useful place to start a conversation about offensive value, especially when her teammate finished ahead of her in MVP voting.