PHOTO USA Today Sports Images The WNBA has grown immensely over the last year, and the athlete responsible for breathing much-needed life into women’s basketball deserves recognition.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark deserves to win Rookie of the Year. Anything else is nonsensical.
Last week, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese was No. 1 on ESPN’s WNBA rookie rankings, and that’s flatout lunacy.
No disrespect to Reese. She’s helping change the game in her own way. Already this season, she had 15 consecutive double-doubles, which is obviously a WNBA record.
Clark’s rookie season has been nothing short of sensational, though. Earlier this year, so many fans and pundits were quick to attack a tired Clark for a slow start to her professional career. She pushed through that noise.
Then, she was seemingly targeted with aggressive flagrant fouls that took the internet by storm. While she has remained the target of some physical play throughout the season, she pushed through that noise as well.
In July, Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple double. She recorded another one on Wednesday night, propelling the Fever to their fifth consecutive victory in a close game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Individual stats are great. Clark’s have been historic. But basketball is a team game, and hers is starting to turn around.
The Fever have not made the WNBA Playoffs since 2016. It’s a franchise that was wandering the desert before Clark’s ceremonious arrival after back-to-back thrilling seasons in March Madness that blew up her celebrity on a mainstream scale.
Now? Led by Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever have clinched a playoff berth and will be playing postseason basketball once again.
The Sky are 11-22. They have lost seven straight games, and their season appears to be heading in the wrong direction.
Reese’s magical double-doubles are starting to be exposed, as her terrible shooting percentage allows her to scoop up easy rebounds near the basket.
“Jontay Porter got a higher FG% than Angel Reese and he was trying to miss on purpose,” a basketball fan said in a viral social media post.
Regardless of what ESPN’s rookie power rankings might believe, it would feel embarrassing to see anyone but Clark win Rookie of the Year.
In 2004, LeBron James easily beat Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade for the NBA Rookie of the Year. Anthony, Wade and even Chris Bosh had awesome rookie campaigns, but it was James who separated himself from the pack, bringing the Cleveland Cavaliers to relevance once again.
There’s no reason to overthink this one, either. Clark should be the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
