Caitlin Clark has had a few weeks to think about how her season ended. It ended in Las Vegas, one game after she scored 27 points and handed out 15 assists to keep it alive. Now, as she takes some time to rest, a podcast host has asked her a simple question: Who is the hardest player in the league to guard? Clark did not need long to answer.

On the Not Gonna Lie podcast with Kylie Kelce, Clark said: “Definitely A’ja [Wilson]. I think that would probably be everybody’s answer.”

“She’s just like so difficult, her size, her physicality, athleticism, she can make a mid-range jump shot consistently, she can stretch the floor,” Clark added. “So probably that, and she’s one of those players especially, cause that’s where we lost it this year in the first round. When you let a player like that see the first couple of baskets go in, it’s like ah, it’s gonna be a long night, it is what it is.”

Her answer reflects exactly how their first-round series played out. The Aces were the defending champions and the third seed, while the Fever entered as the sixth seed. In Game 1, Wilson showed Indiana just how difficult she could be to stop.

She scored 22 points in the first half on 9-of-11 shooting and finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks in a 102-85 win. Las Vegas shot 59%. Clark had 15 points and 10 assists, but shot 6-of-17. She also gave her team’s defense “An F.”

Game 2, however, was a different story. Clark scored 27 points with 15 assists, and the Fever won 99-89 to force a Game 3. Wilson still finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. After the game, Clark gave her credit. She said Indiana had made things as difficult as possible for Wilson, but the star would still find ways to score and get to the line. Her words then were “it is what it is,” the same phrase she used on the podcast.

The deciding Game 3 took the series back to Las Vegas. Wilson went 11-of-18 for her second 30-point double-double of the series, leading the Aces to a 94-83 win. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 41 points on 13-of-41 shooting. The Aces also took 35 free throws compared to the Fever’s 20.

The Fever also missed shots they usually make, but the result remained the same. It was the second straight year the Aces had ended their season.

Clark’s praise for Wilson is nothing new, either. Back in 2024, as a rookie, she called Wilson “unguardable” and said watching her was fun. Two years later, even after Wilson had beaten her team in the playoffs, her opinion had not changed.

Even A’ja Wilson Has A Toughest Opponent

Wilson has faced the same question herself. On the same podcast last November, she named Breanna Stewart. “I’m going to always say Breanna Stewart,” she said. Wilson described Stewart as a three-level scorer who is tall but plays like a guard. She also said she loves the matchup because every game against her is “blockbuster, elite basketball.” Their connection goes back to 2013, when they won gold together for Team USA at the U19 World Cup.

And their history on the court goes back years, too. The Storm swept Wilson’s Aces in the 2020 Finals, but Las Vegas won their 2022 semifinal series 3-1. Wilson had 33 points and 13 rebounds in one game, while Stewart scored 42. The Aces beat Stewart’s Liberty in the 2023 Finals, but New York got its revenge in 2024. Stewart leads Wilson 8-7 in their playoff matchups. Still, Wilson says there is no beef between them. They simply push each other to get better.

Wilson and Clark have their own version of that competitive relationship. On Aug. 6, Wilson swatted away Clark’s jump ball in an 86-84 overtime win for the Aces. ESPN’s WNBA Art later picked it as one of the most iconic moments of the 2026 season, a reminder of the fierce competition that defines the league.

And that brings the story full circle. Clark names Wilson, Wilson names Stewart, and each recognizes the challenge the other brings to the court.