Monica McNutt’s ROTY race take on Angel Reese catches the attention of former NBA executive (Image credits: @mcnuttmonica, @angelreese5/Instagram)
Monica McNutt’s opinion on the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year race, regarding Angel Reese, was picked apart by a former NBA executive for the Dallas Mavericks. Reese and Caitlin Clark have been part of a hot debate as both rookies have shown brilliance on the floor. This has caused experts to take sides, including for the ROTY honor.
During an episode of ESPN’s First Take, McNutt shared her thoughts on the rookie race. She mentioned that Clark wasn’t her choice to be the winner and named Reese as her preferred candidate.
According to her, the Chicago Sky rookie should win as her team has a better record.
“My Rookie of the Year is going to go based on the standings. … And the Sky right now are in the playoffs. So, you’d have to give the nod in my mind to Angel Reese,” McNutt said.
"My rookie of the year is going to go based on the standings. … And the Sky right now are in the playoffs. So, you'd have to give the nod in my mind to Angel Reese."
—@McNuttMonica on the WNBA ROTY race between Reese and Caitlin Clark 👀 pic.twitter.com/65CnhbObrL
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 5, 2024
Her statement regarding the league’s rookie race caught the attention of the former director of quantitative research and development for the Mavericks, Haralabos Voulgaris.
“I can’t think of an award where standings is less relevant than Rookie of the Year. If you are going to reach for excuses to account for your biases, try harder,” Voulgaris said.
“Clark is more impactful to winning in every metric, leads in every statistical category aside from rebounds (would be a fun dive to determine how many of Reese’s rebounds are contested or off her own missed shots).”
I can't think of an award where standings is less relevant than rookie of the year. If you are going to reach for excuses to account for your biases, try harder.
Clark is more impactful to winning in every metric, leads in every statistical category aside from rebounds (would… https://t.co/OLv47VQ6hl
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) July 5, 2024
Caitlin Clark leads the Rookie of the Year race over Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s talent has given fans something to cheer for in the WNBA. Since their arrival, fans have been updated with the events in the league as the WNBA has been much more prominent in the media. Clark and Reese’s rivalry goes back to college, where they stood out.
Now, the competition between them has gotten more intense as they battle for the Rookie of the Year race. Clark still leads the pack, averaging 16 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists. The Indiana Fever guard has a -1000 odds of winning the award, which makes her the favorite.
LA Sparks’ Cameron Brink trails her with +1100 odds of winning the individual award. However, Brink has suffered an ACL injury, which will keep her on the sidelines for a significant amount of time. Before her injury, the fan-favorite averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
Coming in third place is Reese. The former LSU standout has put up 13.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. She has a +2600 odds to win the award and her 11-game stretch of double-doubles has helped her case.
