The WNBA’s first All-Star fan voting returns came with a surprising reality for Caitlin Clark. Despite being one of the league’s most visible stars and a major driver of attention since her rookie season, Clark is not currently among the top three vote-getters. But that’s not even the most surprising part of the picture. It is that she isn’t even the top vote-getter on her own Indiana Fever team.

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Specifically, the early returns place Clark at number five overall with a total of 253,602 votes. Sitting ahead of her at number three is her own teammate, Aliyah Boston, with 282,186 votes. While that ranking may look concerning for Clark, WNBA analyst Sabreena Merchant sees it as a genuinely positive moment for Aaliyah Boston, one she believes has been passed over for long.

“Aaliyah Boston edging Caitlin’s popularity is truly fascinating to me. But kudos to Aaliyah, who I think has long been overlooked as just an incredible part of what the Fever are doing,” Merchant said, reacting to the early voting results on Friday’s episode of the No Offseason podcast, which she co-hosts with Annie Costabile. “Not by All-Star votes, Aliyah’s gonna start every year of her career. But I think in all that WNBA consideration, I feel like she’s sometimes overlooked in terms of her contribution to the Fever,” she added.

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Aliyah Boston

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The shift in fan voting represents a notable departure from recent history. Clark topped the All-Star fan voting in both her rookie and sophomore seasons. And Aliyah Boston trailed right behind her, second in 2024 and fourth in 2025. Now, with Boston climbing to third, Clark has fallen to a somewhat unbelievable fifth place. 

The drop is particularly striking given her performance this season. She currently ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 20.8 points per game. She is also jointly in the lead in assists at 8.2 per game. And she is adding 4.4 rebounds per game on top of that.

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On the other hand, Boston is averaging 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Those numbers fully justify her current ranking, and arguably support an even higher one.

Voting, however, is far from over. It remains open until June 27. With about a week still to go, there’s plenty of time for the numbers to shift. It will be genuinely interesting to see where both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston will ultimately land when the final fan vote tallies come out.

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WNBA Analyst Anna Costabile Explains Caitlin Clark’s Changing All-Star Voting Reality

Perhaps, the various off-court controversies surrounding her and the Fever this season have dented her standing among voters. But, speaking on the No Offseason podcast, fellow WNBA analyst Annie Costabile offered her own explanation for the shifting reality in this year’s All-Star voting. According to her, the changing numbers reflect a broader evolution happening across the league.

“I think that’s what we’re seeing. Like the star power on the court is now being matched off the court for more players than just a handful,” she said.

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The way Costabile sees it, the explosion of interest the WNBA experienced following the historic 2024 rookie class, driven in large part by Clark herself, is now beginning to distribute itself more evenly across a wider pool of players. 

“I think the fans that came into the league as a result of that 2024 class that Caitlin Clark powered, maybe now it’s balancing out a little bit more. And we’re seeing that reflected in the fan vote,” she said.

And looking at it from this perspective, having fans now developing loyalty toward multiple players across multiple teams, beyond just one, does seem far more sustainable for the league.

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Olutayo Inioluwa Emmanuel

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Olutayo Inioluwa Emmanuel is a WNBA journalist at EssentiallySports, bringing a fan-first perspective to coverage of the Women's National Basketball Association. With prior experience reporting on high school sports, college basketball, and the National Basketball Association, he has developed a reputation for timely reporting and audience-focused storytelling. His coverage spans match updates, breaking developments, player analysis, and roster moves, while also tracking the evolving dynamics shaping teams and athletes across the league. Beyond the immediate headline, Olutayo places developments within a broader context by examining roster decisions, team trends, and structural shifts that influence performance across women’s basketball. He also pays close attention to the under-the-radar storylines that matter most to dedicated fans of the sport. Before joining EssentiallySports, Olutayo covered the National Football League and college football, an experience that strengthened his instincts for breaking news and fast-paced reporting while maintaining clarity and accuracy under tight deadlines. His background as a content writer and editor across multiple digital platforms has further shaped his command of structure, tone, and research-driven reporting. Currently pursuing an MBA at Obafemi Awolowo University, he approaches the WNBA with an analytical perspective that connects on-court performances to the broader systems and management decisions shaping the league.

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