WNBA MVP is now painfully obvious after Caitlin Clark injury

Caitlin Clark's two-week (minimum!) absence from the court is already changing the landscape of the WNBA in a myriad of ways, a testament to the influence the 23-year-old second-year WNBA star wields (whether she likes it or not).

Clark, who was averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists, and 6 rebounds before she got hurt, was on her way to having a strong season — perhaps even an MVP-worthy one. Now that she's missing in action for a little while, another challenger has stepped up to the plate: Minnesota Lynx vet Napheesa Collier.

It's not as if Collier's name is brand new to the MVP conversation; she was the second pick among voters last season. She spent her offseason at Unrivaled, the 3x3 league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart, and won the 1v1 tournament.

The Lynx are currently undefeated, a feat that can largely be credited to Collier's leadership. In just about every way, she's already showing she's a serious contender for MVP, with or without Clark.

But without Clark in contention, Collier has a window of time during which she can rise so far in the rankings that her status as MVP becomes nearly undeniable. She's averaging a massive 26.8 points per game right now, something no one else in the league is doing.

Napheesa Collier has never been named MVP before

Collier was drafted as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Lynx and has played for the team ever since. In her years in the league, she's never been named MVP, which makes achieving that goal in 2025 all the more important for her.

Fans aren't the only ones noticing Collier's prowess — her odds in terms of sports betting have also risen sharply since Monday, when the Fever made the announcement about Clark, Sports Illustrated reported this week.

Collier has racked up a lot of titles in her time: Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA All-Star, All-WNBA First Team, and she's a two-time Olympic gold medalist (she was part of the women's team that won at the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics), but MVP has still been just out of reach.

And though there are a lot of athlete who could deserve the honor (and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson isn't going to go down without a strong, ferocious fight), this year could end up being the one when Collier brings it all home.