On Wednesday, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese continued to make their case for being named Rookie of the Year with dual outstanding performances.
Clark had an excellent all-around game in an 89-84 loss to the Mystics. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft finished with 29 points on 7-of-14 shooting (5-of-9 from deep), five rebounds, 13 assists, five steals and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Reese, selected No. 7 overall, extended her historic double-double streak with 11 points and 13 rebounds in a 78-69 win over the Dream. She added three steals, two assists and two blocks in the winning effort.
Per Across the Timeline, Clark is just the second player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five steals in a game. She joins Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas, who became the first player to do so last season on Sept. 5.
When adding her three blocks, Clark’s Wednesday box score against the Mystics is unprecedented.
Reese’s double-double streak stands at 14 after Wednesday, two more than Candace Parker’s previous record she set during a 12-game span between the 2009-10 seasons.
Reese is the biggest competition to Clark for the league’s Rookie of the Year honor, and she’s closed the gap with her historic run.
Per ESPN BET, Clark (-550) remains the favorite, but Reese (+310) is closer than she’s been all year.
According to DraftKings, before the season began, Clark was -800 to win the award, while Reese was in a distant third (also trailing Sparks forward Cameron Brink) at +3000.
Before Reese’s double-double run, USA Today reported on May 24 that her odds were at +2600, while Clark (-1000) was a runaway favorite.
Both players have been as good as fans could have hoped they’d be entering the league.
Clark has continued mesmerizing with her elite passing and absurd range from deep. Per Her Hoop Stats, Clark is second in the league in assists per game (7.4) and leads in threes made beyond 27 feet. The WNBA’s three-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the basket.
Reese was a rebounding machine in college and has continued dominating the boards in the pros. Her 11.9 rebounds per game lead the league, as does her 21.3 percent total rebound rate.
The discourse online surrounding the two sensational rookies is often toxic and vile, but we shouldn’t let obnoxious saboteurs on social media hijack what’s turned into a thrilling Rookie of the Year race.
In the on-court battle between Clark and Reese, we all win.