Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been battling for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award against Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese all season. As analysts and fans debate the winner of the prestigious award, WNBA legend Sue Bird chimed into the conversation.
Bird recently spoke on the Rookie of the Year race alongside USA soccer icon Megan Rapinoe. She believes Clark should win the award over Reese despite not taking average stats or team records into account.
The former Seattle Storm guard is giving Caitlin Clark the nod, simply off the eye test.
“I don’t do the stat comparison,” Bird said. “It can help when things are close… I just do the eye test, and to me, [Caitlin Clark] is Rookie of the Year.”
Bird has been consistent on her pick for Clark, sharing the same opinion throughout the season. Her point of view weighs heavy on WNBA fans since she was once one of the biggest stars in the league.
Sue Bird retired as a four-time WNBA champion and thirteen-time WNBA All-Star.
“They can both be good. They can both be having great years,” Bird added.
Team WNBA forward Angel Reese (5) passes the ball to Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the first half against the USA Women’s National Team at Footprint Center.
© Mark J. Rebilas–USA TODAY Sports
The rookie out of Iowa averaged 17.1 points and 8.2 assists per game throughout the first half of the WNBA season. She leads the league in average assists and is ranked No. 1 on the Fever in both points and assists.
Indiana stands as the No. 7 team in the WNBA with an 11-15 record. They’re currently in playoff contention since the top eight teams in the league punch their ticket to the postseason.
While Clark is having a tremendous season in her first year in the WNBA, Angel Reese has also been a star.
Reese is averaging 13.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, which ranks her second in the WNBA in rebounds per game.
The Sky fall just under the Fever in the WNBA rankings, listed at No. 8 with a 10-14 record.
Both players participated in the 2024 WNBA All-Star game, proving to be some of the most valuable athletes in the league, not just in the rookie class.
