ROY Favorite Caitlin Clark Ignoring Noise, Pushing to Fringes of WNBA MVP Discussion

I had a lot of feelings as the Indiana Fever clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2016 on Wednesday, and I don't think I'm alone in any of them.

Above all else, I was ecstatic. The WNBA playoffs are just something else when the Fever are relevant. Indiana fans and their Red-Out crowds have shown up and shown out in some of the most legendary moments in the league's story so far.

It's especially fitting that the Fever have been rocking their red "Bloodline" Rebel Edition jerseys, a nod to the team's 2012 championship run, as their future is unfolding perhaps ahead of schedule.

Then there's that feeling that's so uniquely compelling, the feeling that gets you hooked on a sport for life: feeling like we're witnessing rare greatness in action. We watch sports to witness great people do great things, and then we dream about how far they might take it.

The Fever went 13-27 last year and ended up with the first overall draft pick. Sure, it took them a minute to click early on this season, but even those with the loftiest turnaround expectations expected that. As of Friday, they're 18-16, playoff-bound and are on a 7-1 run since the Olympic break.

What changed? We all know what changed.

And here comes another one of those feelings I've been grappling with.

Caitlin Clark's progressive professional success and instant stardom have become so wrapped up in the narratives and the sub-narratives and all of their implications that she never endorsed or even had a say in. This will happen to any truly famous athlete, and the mainstream noise is one of many indications of the W's popularity rising.

To me, though, all the takes feel like some revenge tour of "told ya so" to an audience of zero. I mean, did anyone not believe in Clark? Sometimes the noise is exhausting, reductive, and bogs me down to where I'm totally losing the plot and struggling to refrain from reacting.

Then you remember the point of all of that noise is a reaction, not celebrating and enjoying Clark's historic rookie season.

What a shame.

In these moments, I find it helpful to pause and ground myself in the facts. The Fever drafted Clark with their No. 1 pick. They barely made any other roster changes headed into the season. These are facts.

It's also a fact that the team around Clark has been cooking. According to StatMamba, Kelsey Mitchell is the first player in WNBA history to go on a five-game win streak averaging 25 points per game, 55 percent accuracy from two, 40 percent accuracy from three and 90 percent on free throws. She's also leading the team in points with 19, to Clark's 18.9. Aliyah Boston is averaging 13.7 points, 9.1 (!) rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks.

Three things can be true at the same time: 1. All of these players and head coach Christie Sides deserve to be celebrated for their individual accomplishments and contributions to team success. 2. The team structure worked perfectly where Clark could slide in and become Boston's missing link. You need to credit the Fever for having the correct supporting cast, like Boston in the frontcourt. 3. Nothing helps the rest of the team cook quite like a prolific guard entering the chat. Just look at Lexi Hull's shooting improvement.

This post-Olympic run from Clark has been nothing short of prolific, and it brings up another point: We should trust her and listen to her. When the outrage started trickling in that she was "snubbed" from the Olympic team, she said she actually wanted the break.

She'd been getting more and more comfortable heading into the second half of the season, but she came back with a clear, refreshed confidence. The past month has not only solidified Clark running away with Rookie of the Year, but has pushed her into the MVP conversation.

No "told ya so" to a brick wall or fabricated outrage here, just facts and appreciation.

Clark showed up the day after the Fever clinched via Dream and Sky losses and posted a triple-double, becoming the first-ever rookie to record two. Mind you, she was already the first to ever earn one. It's not just the breaking of records, but the context and progression that feel generational.

She is the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 threes, accomplishing the feat in 34 games. She is the first player in league history to record 100 or more three-pointers and 200 or more assists in a single season. Speaking of threes, she leads the league in three-pointers made.

She is also leading the league in assists, averaging 8.4 per game, with a chance to break the all-time assists record when all is said and done. She sure broke the single-game record for assists in a game with 19 against the Wings in July.

She's hitting on over 37 percent of shots from 30-34 feet on over 40 attempts. She's averaging more rebounds and blocks than any guard. She's been shooting closer to the net because teams are guarding her at the perimeter, and she's had great success with that, too.

Looking at the facts and Clark's post-Olympic tear, she's absolutely entered the MVP conversation. An important distinction, though, is MVP isn't awarded to the fastest player to reach a certain accolade. MVP is awarded to the Most Valuable Player. In my eyes, this is still A'ja Wilson, who is leading the league with 27.5 points per game, is unbelievably reliable defensively along with that prolific offense, and pulled the Las Vegas Aces out of the trenches at the beginning of the season.

But a top-five finish is possible. And isn't it fun to sit back and enjoy Clark's greatness as she enters the MVP conversation? It sure is when you don't have some guy screaming "told ya so" in your ear. Friends, I've found the answer to enjoying this moment in time.

Log off X.com and turn on a Fever game.