WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has been making headlines by breaking multiple league records in her last four games and leading her team to its first playoff berth in eight years. However, there is still a debate over who should win the Rookie of the Year award, with former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah expressing his support for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese. Noah cited Reese’s playing style, which he feels is more similar to his own, as the reason for his preference.
Despite Reese’s size advantage over Clark, the statistics clearly favor Clark in terms of points, assists, steals, blocks, and shooting percentages. However, Reese excels in rebounds, averaging 13.2 per game compared to Clark’s 5.8. In head-to-head matchups this season, the Fever have beaten the Sky three out of four times, with Reese outscoring Clark in two meetings and out-rebounding her in all four. Clark had more assists in all four matchups. Reese’s height advantage has allowed her to have strong finishes in the paint and deliver physical blocks, though some have resulted in fouls being called against her.
In the 2023 NCAA women’s title game, Reese outperformed Clark with 15 points and 10 rebounds, leading LSU to victory over Iowa. As they continue their rivalry in the pros, Clark’s offensive prowess and her team’s success have put her in the lead for the Rookie of the Year award with just six games left in the season. Despite this, Reese still has supporters, such as Noah, who acknowledges his bias towards the Chicago Sky player. Having seen young talents like Derrick Rose excel in the NBA, Noah understands the impact of a transcendent player.
Clark recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 3-pointers in a season, achieved her second career triple-double against the LA Sparks, surpassed Tamika Catchings for the most points in a single season by a rookie in Fever history, and had the first 30-point, 12-assist game in WNBA history. She also set the record for most made 3-pointers by a rookie. Despite Noah’s preference for Reese as Rookie of the Year, he acknowledged Clark’s talent and the impact she is making in the league. The debate continues as both rookies showcase their skills on the court, leaving fans and analysts eager to see who will ultimately be crowned the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
