The buzz surrounding Caitlin Clark‘s entry into the WNBA has been unmatched, from sellout crowds to national headlines, the Indiana Fever rookie has commanded attention wherever she goes.
But for all the hype, the 2025 season hasn’t quite lived up to expectations for Clark or her team.
Clark, the sharpshooter who shattered records at the University of Iowa, has struggled to maintain the same efficiency in the pros. Currently dealing with a nagging groin injury, she’s shooting just 27.9% from three-point range, a far cry from the dazzling accuracy fans came to expect during her NCAA career.
While Clark continues to adjust to the faster pace and tougher defenses of the WNBA, some of her peers, particularly seasoned veterans, are taking full advantage of the spotlight to remind fans who the league’s real sharpshooters are.
Among them is Kelsey Plum, who has emerged not only as one of the league’s top three-point shooters this season but also as a vocal critic of Clark and the media circus surrounding her.
Plum’s three-point edge, and a growing rivalry
Plum, now a standout guard for the Los Angeles Sparks, has drilled an impressive 125-of-315 three-point attempts, giving her a significantly better shooting percentage and overall impact from deep compared to Clark.
In a season filled with tension and debate over who truly deserves the spotlight, that stat is one Plum can confidently hold over the rookie’s head.
In fact, Plum‘s shooting performance this season isn’t just better than Clark‘s, it places her among the best in the league. While Clark fans may still be banking on her long-term potential, veterans like Plum are making it clear that they’re not ready to hand over the crown just yet.
Adding to the list of players outshooting Clark from beyond the arc are names like Leonie Fiebich, the German forward for the Liberty who leads the league with a staggering 50% from deep, and Clark’s own teammate Lexie Hull, who’s making threes at a clip nearly 20% better than the Fever’s star rookie.
Even fellow high-profile guards like Sabrina Ionescu and Allisha Gray are outperforming Clark in three-point efficiency, despite facing similar defensive pressure.
The mounting comparisons have fueled an emerging narrative: while Clark may be the league’s biggest draw, she’s not yet its best performer.
That reality hasn’t been lost on players like Plum, who recently stirred controversy by criticizing Clark‘s All-Star teammates for not participating in a pregame meeting on pay equity.
Plum‘s pointed remarks, and her elite three-point stats, have only heightened what now feels like a brewing rivalry. Whether it’s tension over attention, performance, or activism, the dynamics between the league’s rising star and its proven vets are heating up.
As the WNBA season unfolds, fans will be watching closely to see if Clark can recover her form and silence her critics, or if Plum and others will continue to assert their dominance, both on the court and in the narrative surrounding the league’s future.
Read the full article here
