Basketball fans are pushing back against a controversial stat that diminishes Caitlin Clark’s stellar performance in her rookie season.

Clark, drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever, has proven herself worthy of the hype surrounding her. As the all-time NCAA Division I scoring leader, the 22-year-old is averaging 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game through her first 22 WNBA contests, showcasing her all-around talent and confirming her status as a game-changing player.

Fans on X/Twitter wasted no time exposing the statistic while defending Caitlin Clark:

Former Memphis Grizzlies VP of basketball operations John Hollinger, now a writer at The Athletic, designed the Player Efficiency Rating (PER) stat. As ESPN describes, PER is “the overall rating of a player’s per-minute statistical production.”

Few advanced statistics in sports spark as much debate as PER in basketball. Caitlin Clark’s incredible rookie season is yet another example of how the formula for PER is far from perfect. Despite her outstanding performances, some argue that PER doesn’t fully capture her impact on the court.

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