Despite all the headlines and narratives, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese really… have have been the two best rookies in the WNBA this year.
That won’t be much of a surprise for Clark, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever after a stellar college career with Iowa.
Reese, who was selected six spots lower at seventh overall, may have adapted a little quicker than some expected.
The powerful center has already set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles, with 11 (and counting) after her latest effort on Tuesday.
While neither Clark nor Reese will be traveling to Paris with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, both will represent the WNBA All-Star team at their first opportunity.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are competing for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award
The pair have been cordial off the court, but have often clashed with each other.
| Caitlin Clark | Angel Reese |
|---|---|
| 16.0 points | 13.2 points |
| 5.7 rebounds | 11.8 rebounds |
| 7.1 assists | 1.9 assists |
| 1.3 robberies | 1.4 robberies |
| 0.8 blocks | 0.2 blocks |
It is the first time two rookies have been All-Stars since 2014.
However, there is one distinction they will not be able to share: Rookie of the Year.
If his Fever can remain competitive, Clark, who uses his equipment a lot, will surely have a strong case for the award.
He is averaging 16 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists, although he is shooting an inefficient 39.1 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three-point range (in college he shot 37.7 percent from the third line).
The argument against Clark’s Rookie of the Year candidacy is based on metrics. In addition to her poor shooting numbers, she commits 5.6 turnovers per game, and technically, the Fever have been a better offensive team without Clark on the court.
By Basketball referenceThe Fever’s offensive rating with Clark is 102.2 points per 100 possessions and 104.7 points per 100 possessions without her. Overall, the difference between the team’s net rating per 100 possessions with and without Clark is just 0.2.
Of course, it’s not all on the Indiana star, who has helped his team bounce back from a 2-9 start (they’re now 8-13). It’s also plausible that many of Clark’s missed minutes have come against substitute units or during halftime.
Clark has also compiled some historic numbers, as she set the record for assists for a Fever rookie and became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 300 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists.
Fever and Sky have met three times this season, with Clark’s team winning twice.
Reese recently hit Clark in the head with a flagrant foul while trying to block him.
Still, Reese’s impact on the Chicago Fever may be statistically more significant.
The former LSU star is averaging 13.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting at a similarly inefficient rate as Clark, 39.7 percent from the field.
However, Reese’s effect on the wins is much clearer in the statistics, especially defensively, where the Sky are 12.3 points worse per 100 possessions without his interior presence on the court.
Overall, Chicago has improved by an incredible 16.8 points per 100 possessions with its rookie sensation on the court than off it.
And it’s not like Reese benefits from playing on a dominant team like the Liberty or Aces.
In fact, her Sky (7-11) have won fewer games than the Fever and only edge them in the standings by a half-game in winning percentage. Reese has been singularly dominant, leading the league in total rebounding percentage and offensive rebounding percentage.
Of course, awards are often determined as much by narrative as by statistics, and this award could simply come down to which team is better, or at least how big the gap is between the teams.
Clark has taken on a massive offensive load for the Fever as the team’s key player.
If the Fever revert to their early-season poor form and Reese’s Sky hover around .500, voters may view Clark as a stat-modifier on an otherwise bad team.
If Indiana remains competitive, Clark will rightly be considered a major reason why.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Clark and Reese have fought.
Reese infamously mocked Clark in last year’s NCAA Championship game as time expired on a comfortable LSU victory.
And this year, Reese caused controversy when she was seen cheering on teammate Chennedy Carter, who performed a blatant body slam on Clark. She later (accidentally) gave Clark a hard foul in the head in another game.
While Reese may divide opinion among fans, what is clear is that she and Clark have played a major role in the WNBA’s increased ratings and attendance.
In May, more than 400,000 fans attended games, the highest attendance in 26 years, the league said.
On ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS, WNBA games also average 1.32 million viewers, which is nearly triple last season’s standard of 462,200 viewers.
And Reese is happy to embrace the role of villain to draw crowds to the games.
“People gather to watch games, we have celebrities coming to games, packed stadiums. Just for one game. And just by watching that, I’ll take on that role. I’ll take on the role of the bad guy and continue to do it. And I’ll do it for my teammates.”
Clark and Reese have been rivals since Reese taunted Clark during the 2023 national championship.
While Clark and Reese have played important roles in sparking interest in the W, some of their fellow rookies have also gotten off to strong starts.
Kamilla Cardoso and Aaliyah Edwards are averaging over eight points and over six rebounds per game, while Rickea Johnson has quietly scored 10.2 (efficiently) for a struggling LA Sparks team.
Teammate Cameron Brink also got off to a strong start before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
Ultimately, though, Rookie of the Year will go to Clark or Reese.
Time will tell who will emerge victorious.