WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds
When evaluating the WNBA Rookie of the Year race it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have their devotees. This makes it nearly impossible for many to be objective when discussing the two rookie stars. Still, in a race that once felt close, there seems to be one rookie starting to run away with it. We can debate whether that should be the case or not, but we can’t deny what we are seeing. The gap between Clark and Reese has steadily gotten wider, and if Clark keeps playing at the level she’s playing, there may not be much Reese can do to make up ground. Let’s take a look at where the race stands right now.
Caitlin Clark (-2000)
After winning the Rookie of the Month in May, Clark steadily improved. The Fever is finally playing to her strengths, allowing her to push the tempo, and the team’s beginning to gel. Nowhere was this more obvious than in their 83-78 win over the New York Liberty. In that game, Clark posted the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie or Fever player in franchise history. She also became the fastest player in league history to record 350+ points, 150+ assists, and 120+ rebounds and the only rookie to post 400 points, 150 assists, and 100 rebounds. Clark is averaging 17.1 ppg (leads all rookies), 8.2 apg (leads the league), 5.8 rpg, 1.5 spg (first among rookies), and 0.8 bpg. The one caveat to her game is her league-leading 5.6 turnovers per game. While not all of those TOVs have been her fault, it’s a fair criticism. Still, what she does right far outweighs her flaws.
Angel Reese (+600)
Looking at the stat line, it’s easy to make the case for Reese as the best rookie up to this point in the season. The 6ft 3in forward has put her dominance as a rebounder on full display and leads the league in that category. She can disrupt the middle of the defense and has scored enough points to give her a WNBA record-breaking streak of 15 consecutive double-doubles. Reese is averaging 13.5 ppg (second among rookies), 11.9 rpg (leads all rookies and second in the league), 1.8 apg, 1.4 spg (second among rookies), 0.4 bpg, and a 19.0 EFF rating. But her rebound totals have been somewhat inflated by nearly 23% of them coming off of her own missed shots and by taking most of her shots around the basket. Still, her sheer determination and impact on her team cannot be overlooked, and doing something no one has ever done by breaking a Candace Parker record is impressive.
Verdict
At this point in the season, I would give the award to Clark. What Clark has done and how she’s done it is more impressive than what Reese has done. Clark has shown she’s arguably the best floor general and passer in this league and recently broke the WNBA record for assists in a single game. With Reese’s streak coming to a close and now being second in the league in rebounds per game while looking pedestrian on offense, and Clark creating more points (scores plus assists) than anyone in the league, it could be Clark’s to lose. Even more impressive is that Clark has done it while seeing an unprecedented amount of defensive attention and while playing on a worse team than Reese. Simply put, Clark is the best overall player, and it’s not very close.
A die hard Bears fan and fantasy sports fantastic, T.J. Besler earned his journalism (and theatre) degree from The University of Iowa. When he isn’t busy writing parodies for his YouTube channel Parodies for Charities he can be found either on stage performing or doing all things fantasy football related. Besler has traveled to nearly all 50 states either for work or leisure, and is grateful to everyone who has helped him along the way, especially his lovely wife Elsa, without whom much of this would not be possible. BEAR DOWN!
