Overview
- General managers, in Tuesday’s league survey, chose Dallas guard Paige Bueckers as the No. 1 player to start a franchise with at 33%, with Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson tied at 20% after Clark led this question with 50% last year.
- The survey’s title forecast backed Las Vegas to win the 2026 WNBA Finals at 40%, with New York at 33% and Atlanta at 27%, and it gave Indiana no votes despite back-to-back playoff trips.
- Clark played only 13 games in 2025 because of groin and ankle issues, but she is reported fully healthy for 2026 after a strong preseason showing that included 21 points in limited minutes against Dallas.
- Indiana re-signed core pieces, gave Aliyah Boston a four-year extension, and added rookie defender Raven Johnson and veteran depth, yet GMs dropped the Fever to fourth for best young core behind Dallas, Seattle, and Washington.
- The results sparked fan blowback and a fresh debate over performance versus business impact, with coverage noting Indiana’s valuation jumped severalfold after Clark’s arrival and some analysts touting Boston as a 2026 MVP dark horse.