Stephen A. Smith picked Caitlin Clark over A’ja Wilson for compelling reason

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is one of the must-watch players in basketball today. The six-foot guard was already a decorated player before joining the WNBA.

The Iowa native is a three-time FIBA gold medalist during her under-16 and under-19 days for Team USA. On top of that, Clark is a three-time NCAA scoring leader in her four years with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

To put the icing on top, Clark surpassed “Pistol” Pete Maravich as the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. 

Because of her achievements, many sports commentators were high on her before the draft. Clark was then selected as the top overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. 

Stephen A. Smith chooses Caitlin Clark over the reigning WNBA MVP

Stephen A. Smith is one of the most well-known broadcasters today. He is ESPN’s highest-paid talent after signing the $100 million, multiyear deal last year.

In one session of his show, “First Take”, Smith was recently asked about whom he would build a franchise around. 

When the question got to A’ja Wilson, Smith said that he would pick the Las Vegas Aces star over anybody. However, he mentioned an exception to his answer.

“There’s only one person that I would pick over A’ja Wilson,” Smith said. “And it’s not because of basketball, it’s because of box office. And that would be Caitlin Clark.”

There is no question that Clark draws viewers to each of her WNBA games with the Fever. This 2026 WNBA season, the Fever will be the only team to have all 44 of its games televised nationally.

When asked to choose between Clark and Wilson, Smth emphasized his compelling reason for picking the Fever superstar over the four-time WNBA MVP.

“Well, again, what’s my mission?” Smith asked. “If I’m after a championship, I’m picking A’ja Wilson. If I wanna make some money, and I’m thinking about Madison Avenue and the box office, it’s going to be Caitlin Clark.”

Smith then proceeded to call Clark the “modern-day Larry Bird.”

“When she speaks, everybody listens,” he added. “When she’s playing, everybody’s watching. If I need that, I’m going with Caitlin Clark.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by First Take (@firsttake)

Smith reiterated that he would still go with Wilson if his objective were to win a title. Despite this, the Fever has continued to improve since Clark’s arrival. 

Only time will tell when, and if, Clark can bring home a WNBA championship to Indiana.

The post Stephen A. Smith picked Caitlin Clark over A’ja Wilson for compelling reason appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/stephen-a-smith-caitlin-clark-aja-wilson-fever/