Fever's Caitlin Clark is expected to be better than ever in 2026

Hype and attention have followed Caitlin Clark for years -- and while Clark's head coach doesn't like some of the narratives around her, the Indiana Fever's star point guard has shown a tremendous capacity to block out the noise and focus on basketball.

Of course, Clark did not play a ton of basketball in 2025. She spent much of her second WNBA season injured, finally revealing on Sept. 4 that groin and ankle injuries were not going to allow her to play again. The Fever reached the WNBA semifinals without her and pushed the eventual WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces to the brink before bowing out in a winner-take-all Game 5.

Despite her injury-plagued sophomore season in The W -- and despite a dip in offensive production when she did play -- Clark remains firmly among the MVP favorites entering 2026.

MORE: Fever predicted to pair Caitlin Clark with sharpshooting star from Indiana

According to new odds from BetMGM, only Minnesota's Napheesa Collier (+230) is a better bet to win WNBA MVP next year than Clark (+300). Clark is ahead of Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson (+380), whose four MVP awards are a league record, and well ahead of the rest of the field -- which includes Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas and Paige Bueckers.

After averaging 19.2 points on 41.7 percent shooting in 2024, Clark's scoring average dropped to 16.5 points on 36.7 percent shooting in 2025. She also shot just 28 percent from 3-point range after making more than 34 percent of her attempts as a rookie.

Injuries may have played a large role in that. The oddsmakers certainly believe so, creating even more anticipation as to what Clark can achieve with a full offseason and a return to health in 2026.

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