The 2026 WNBA GM Survey was supposed to reveal the league’s top teams, players, coaches, and much more in the eyes of General Managers. However, it ended up reigniting one of the biggest debates in basketball – Caitlin Clark versus Paige Bueckers. Because when the results came out Clark didn’t hold the same ground she used to, as her name finished second or completely fell out of the top three in several categories. Still, if you were to ask Lisa Leslie, people around the league may be overlooking the bigger picture entirely.
Among one of the biggest surprises was the “Which player would you start a franchise with?” category. Just one year ago, Clark dominated that exact question with 50% of the vote. However, this time, Bueckers took the top spot with 33%, while Clark tied for second alongside A’ja Wilson at 20%.
That dramatic shift left many confused because while Bueckers’ rise has been undeniable, they still view Clark as the face of the league and arguably its most impactful player both on and off the court. And apparently, the WNBA legend feels the same way.
During a recent appearance on First Take, Leslie did not hold back when she was asked about her reaction to the GM voting results.
“All those GMs probably gonna get fired, because this is a money business. And the money is about Caitlin Clark,” she said. “Never in the history of the WNBA, have we had a player force teams to get into larger arenas. I’ve never seen that happen. If you’re the GM, you’re obviously supposed to be bringing in money. That’s revenue. I’m going with Caitlin Clark.”
Now, that reaction is exactly why the survey results became so controversial in the first place. Let’s make one thing clear, this does not mean that Caitlin Clark is no more one of the league’s elites. It just reflects how rapidly Bueckers’ reputation has grown entering her second WNBA season.
She brings a balanced, system-friendly style that many executives love. Even though her team struggled badly during the 2025 season and finished with a 10-34 record, Bueckers still averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. She even went on to secure the Rookie of the Year title. So it’s not hard to see why some believe she offers the safer long-term foundation.
However, when it comes to production Clark is nowhere behind. While her second year was cut short, she led the entire league in total assists and assists per game and also finished top four in MVP voting during her rookie year.
That’s why Lisa Leslie’s perspective has caught everyone’s eye. Because while fans continue to debate who the better overall player is, she pointed toward – the ‘Caitlin Clark effect.’
Ever since Clark entered the WNBA, the league’s visibility has exploded at a level that not everyone believed was even possible. Attendance numbers surged, merchandise sales skyrocketed, and national television interest jumped dramatically among many things.
To put it in perspective, this season, WNBA will air all 44 Fever games on national TV, marking not only a franchise record but also the highest number ever for a single team in the WNBA history. This also makes them the only team in the league that has 100 percent of their games being nationally broadcast.
Ironically, the team with the second-most national TV games is the Dallas Wings with 36. So one thing that is clear is that the debate around who truly sits at the top is far from over.
Caitlin Clark Now Has the Perfect Motivation
Last season, injuries limited Clark to just 13 games, and that absence became the most common explanation behind her drop in the GM Survey rankings. So now, heading into this year, she doesn’t just have one job – she has two. She must make up for lost time and, at the same time, remind everyone why they viewed her as the league’s defining young star in the first place.
The Indiana Fever have only just started their regular season, where they have played two games so far with one win and one loss. Interestingly, their defeat came against the Dallas Wings, a team led by Paige Bueckers, which only added more fuel to the ongoing comparison between the two rising stars.
Though Clark and Bueckers will lock horns once again on August 14 when the Fever and Wings meet again. So both of them will have another chance to prove who is really leading this new generation.
Until then, fans will keep their eyes on Caitlin Clark to see how she settles back into a season that feels like it carries more weight than ever before.
