The WNBA's annual general manager survey dropped Tuesday, just days before the 2026 season tips off on Friday, and it's already sparking some serious debate among fans and analysts alike. Every year, the league's 15 GMs weigh in on dozens of questions about the present and future of the game, offering a unique peek into how the top minds in basketball see the season unfolding. This year, one storyline stands out: the shifting perception of two of the league's brightest young stars.
Just last season, Caitlin Clark was riding high. After a historic Rookie of the Year campaign and a fourth-place finish in MVP voting with the Indiana Fever, she was the clear favorite among executives. In the 2025 survey, a commanding 50% of GMs said they'd pick Clark to start a franchise with. Fast forward a year, and that number has dropped to just 20%. What happened? An injury-plagued sophomore season that limited Clark to only 13 games due to a series of lower-body issues. While none of the injuries were considered serious, they derailed her momentum and, it seems, shifted the confidence of the league's top decision-makers.
Enter Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, who now leads the pack with 33% of the vote. Bueckers burst onto the scene with the Dallas Wings, averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting an efficient 47.7% from the field. She even tied the single-game rookie scoring record with a dazzling 44-point performance. Already established as one of the league's elite players, Bueckers is a completely reasonable choice for any GM looking to build a contender from the ground up.
What's most intriguing here isn't just the shift from Clark to Bueckers—it's how quickly perceptions can change in the WNBA. Clark's drop in the "best point guard" category, from 50% to just 20%, underscores how one tough season can reshape a narrative. But let's not forget: the talent, bravado, and skill that made Clark a top-five player as a rookie didn't vanish overnight. She simply wasn't healthy enough to showcase it. Now, with a clean bill of health, she's poised to reclaim her spot among the league's hierarchy.
Meanwhile, the offseason trade of All-Star forward Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 adds another layer of intrigue. Reese will now team up with Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Brionna Jones in Atlanta, giving the Dream a formidable core that could shake up the playoff picture. As the season tips off Friday, all eyes will be on how these stars—and the GMs who bet on them—perform under the bright lights.