The Battle For WNBA Rookie of The Year Is On

Earlier in the week, ESPN released its most recent WNBA rookie ratings, and for the first time this season, Angel Reese moved into first place ahead of Caitlin Clark. The rankings are based on 3 weighted metrics categories, and while ESPN numbers have Reese ahead of Clark, these numbers don't factor in the player's overall impact on the league.

Ask yourself this question: if Clark had decided not to play in the W, do you think over 2.1 million people would have turned to watch the WNBA draft? The reality is that the Caitlin Clark effect on the entire world of basketball can not be underestimated. From a metrics perspective, Clark certainly is posting legendary rookie numbers, as is Reese.

Reese is averaging 14 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. While Clark is averaging 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. Some people will look at the comparison of side-by-side stats and conclude that Reese is the rookie of the year, and some people will conclude that Clark is the rookie of the year. That's how close the stats really are.

One thing is certain: if the WNBA draft were held again today, Reese would definitely be picked higher than 7th. Angel Reese absolutely deserves an enormous amount of credit for playing as well as she has, but when you factor in just how close the stats are and then sprinkle in the Caitlin Clark effect on the WNBA, then it becomes much easier to concede that Clark should win the award.

Remember, in the WNBA All-Star Voting, Clark received the most votes, over 700,000, compared to A'ja Wilson in 2023, who received over 95,000 votes. Simply put, Clark's overall impact on the league is so large that it needs to be factored into who wins Rookie of the Year.