Leading the rookie class in points, assists, field goals, and three-pointers among others halfway through the season, it is no surprise Caitlin Clark has a few on her side in the ROTY race. With her records further in the league, an MVP speculation hasn’t evaded her either. Well, if that were to happen, it would echo the 16-year-old story of Candace Parker. However, the WNBA analyst, Elle Duncan believes that’s just impossible because of this season’s clear frontrunner.

On her namesake show, Duncan weighed in on Caitlin Clark’s MVP prospects, asserting that the race is straightforward and clear-cut. “Just for s*** and giggles you want to just like throw Caitlin in the conversation [MVP race] because it’s not fun to handicap it at, you know A’ja Wilson is going to win it and no one else is going to come close. There’s no debating about it,” said the sports anchor.

The LV Aces icon has been leading the league this season in scoring with 27.3 points per game. She also takes the hat in blocks and follows Angel Reese closely in rebounds. If there were a threat to Wilson in the MVP battle, that would be Breanna Stewart. But Duncan believes the injury-ridden New York Liberty might place her at a disadvantage.

“Stewie is just getting a little bit tired, you know so much of the offensive output. And here’s the thing with the Liberty, they don’t even have Laney Hamilton back who’s still out with a knee injury – their best defender on the team,” stated the WNBA analyst.

But it can’t be ignored that Caitlin Clark has been impressive too as she averages 17.8 points in her rookie season and is leading the league in assists with 8.3 per game. Nevertheless, matching Candace Parker’s incredible rookie MVP year might be a tall order for the rookie guard, especially with Aces star A’ja Wilson dominating the conversation.

Candace Parker: The only Rookie MVP in WNBA history

“There has been one player ever in WNBA history that has been a rookie and has won MVP honors and that is Candace Parker and that is because she was dominant from beginning to end,” said Elle Duncan as she reasserted Clark will not succeed in doing the same. It was in 2008 when former WNBA star made her debut in WNBA with Los Angeles Sparks and she created history.

Parker scored 19.5 points per game in her rookie season and over the top she had an average of 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Later on, she became the only WNBA player to win both Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the same season after she led the Sparks to a 10-win improvement in 2008. The former WNBA star made an immediate impact during her first 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, quickly proving why she was the No. 1 pick.

However, the three-time WNBA champion announced her retirement this year after playing for 16 seasons. “I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it,” wrote Parker over social media as she decided to bid the court adieu as 3-time champion, 7-time All-Star, and 2-time MVP, after playing her final season at Wilson’s Aces.

Now, all eyes are on whether Wilson can uphold her dominance and prevent Caitlin Clark from matching the legacy of Parker, her former teammate.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.