For all the headlines and the narratives, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese really have been the WNBA’s two best rookies this year.
That won’t come as a huge surprise in terms of Clark, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever after a stellar collegiate career with Iowa.
Reese, who was drafted six spots lower at No. 7 overall, has perhaps adjusted slightly quicker than some expected.
The bruising center has already set the WNBA record of consecutive double-doubles, with 11 (and counting) after her latest effort on Tuesday.
While neither Clark nor Reese will head to Paris with the US women’s Olympic squad, they will both represent the WNBA’s All-Star team at their first opportunity.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are battling for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year Award
The pair have been cordial off the court but have often been pitted against one another
Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese by the numbers (per game averages)
Caitlin Clark
Angel Reese
16.0 points
13.2 points
5.7 rebounds
11.8 rebounds
7.1 assists
1.9 assists
1.3 steals
1.4 steals
0.8 blocks
0.2 blocks
It’s the first time two rookies have been All-Stars since 2014.
However, there is one distinction that they won’t be able to share: Rookie of the Year.
If her Fever can continue to be competitive, the heavy-usage Clark will certainly have a strong argument for the award.
She’s averaging 16 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists – albeit on an inefficient 39.1 percent from the field, and 33.7 percent from three (she was a career 37.7 percent shooter from deep in college).
The argument against Clark’s Rookie of the Year case lies in the metrics. Aside from her poor shooting numbers, she’s coughing up 5.6 turnovers per game, and the Fever have technically been a better offensive team without Clark on the court.
Who should be named Rookie of the Year?
Per Basketball Reference, the Fever’s offensive rating with Clark is 102.2 points per 100 possessions and 104.7 points/100 without her. Overall, the difference between the team’s net rating per 100 possessions with and without Clark is just 0.2.
Of course, that is not all on the Indiana star, who has helped her team claw back from a 2-9 start (they are now 8-13). It’s also plausible that many of the non-Clark minutes have come against bench units, or in garbage time.
Clark has also compiled some historic numbers, as she’s already set the Fever’s rookie record for assists, and became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 300 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists.
Reese recently hit Clark in the head with a hard flagrant foul while going for a block
Still, Reese’s impact on the Chicago Fever may be more statistically significant.
The former LSU star is averaging 13.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals – while shooting at a similarly inefficient clip as Clark, 39.7 percent from the field.
However, Reese’s effect on winning is much clearer on the stat sheet, especially defensively, where the Sky are 12.3 points worse off per 100 possessions without her interior presence on the court.
Overall, Chicago are a whopping 16.8 points better per 100 possessions with their rookie sensation on the floor versus off.
And it’s not as if Reese is benefitting 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 lead them in the standings by half a game, via win percentage. Reese has been singularly dominant, leading the league in total rebound percentage and offensive rebound percentage.
Of course, awards are often shaped just as much by narratives as they are stats, and this prize could simply come down to whose team is better – or at least how big the gap is between the squads.
Clark has assumed a massive offensive load for the Fever as the team’s playmaker
If the Fever revert back to their poor early-season form and Reese’s Sky hover around .500, Clark may be viewed by voters as a stat-padder on a bad team.
If Indiana stay competitive, Clark will rightly be considered a major reason for that.
Of course, it’s not the first time Clark and Reese have battled.
Reese infamously taunted Clark in last year’s NCAA Championship game as the time wound down on a comfortable LSU victory.
And this year, Reese caused controversy when she was seen cheering on teammate Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul bodycheck on Clark. She later (accidentally) caught Clark on the head with a hard foul in another game.
While Reese can divide opinion among fans, what’s clear is that she and Clark have played a massive role in boosting WNBA ratings and attendance.
In the month of May, over 400,000 fans attended games – the highest attendance in 26 years, the league said.
Across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and CBS, WNBA games are also averaging 1.32 million viewers – which is nearly triple last season’s standard of 462,200 viewers.
And Reese is happy to accept the villain role in drawing crowds to games.
‘People are pulling up to games, we have celebrities coming to games, sold out arenas. Just because of one single game. And just looking at that – I’ll take that role. I’ll take the bad guy role and I’ll continue to take that on. And be that for my teammates.’
Clark and Reese have been rivals since Reese taunted Clark during the 2023 national championship
Though Clark and Reese have played massive roles spiking interest in the W, some of their fellow rookies are off to strong starts as well.
Kamilla Cardoso and Aaliyah Edwards are both averaging more than eight points and over six rebounds per game, while Rickea Johnson has quietly scored 10.2 (efficiently) for a badly struggling LA Sparks squad.
Her teammate Cameron Brink was also off to a strong start before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
Ultimately, though, Rookie of the Year will go to either Clark or Reese.
Time will tell who comes out on top.
