The WNBA got a big boost in viewership, ratings, and popularity when the league drafted two of the biggest collegiate players this year. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese played against one another for years in the NCAA. After entering the WNBA, they have been able to edge past one another throughout the year. Both players are now contenders for the Rookie of the Year award. But a former Mavericks guard wants the two players to share the honors.
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Raymond Felton keenly noticed how Clark and Reese have changed the landscape of college basketball and the WNBA. The former NBA point guard appreciated how quickly the two have adapted to the intensity of professional basketball and felt it wasn’t fair to pick one over the other for the ROTY. While appearing on the “To the Baha” podcast, Felton said,
“I’m going co-MVPs. You gotta share it… I mean, you can’t give it to one. Caitlin Clark has figured it out. She’s playing amazing basketball. Angel Reese is breaking records… If [the ROTY] is so close, let them share it… They both have changed and impacted the WNBA.”
“Caitlin Clark has figured it out. She’s playing amazing basketball. Angel Reese is breaking records… If [the ROTY] is so close, let them share it… They both have changed and impacted the WNBA.”
— Raymond Felton
(via “To The Baha”, @TidalLeague)pic.twitter.com/hVPBeNrlfE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 21, 2024
Clark took the entire league by storm with her deadly long-range shooting right out of the arena. Apart from her sharpshooting skills, the youngster has displayed great court vision and basketball IQ.
As for Angel Reese, the former LSU player has already been dubbed as the double-double queen of the WNBA. Reese has had 15 consecutive points-rebounds double-doubles, breaking Candace Parker’s record set in the 2009-10 season. And given the rate she is going at, Reese is on her way to breaking more league records this year, whereas Clark will look to set the benchmark in shooting and passing.
So, for the former Dallas Mavericks guard wanting both players to share the award only goes to show that both rookies deserve the honors. Another NBA veteran echoes the same sentiment.
The Washington Wizards legend, Gilbert Arenas, expressed how the Chicago Sky forward and the Indiana Fever guard both deserve to be awarded. On the Gil’s Arena podcast, Agent Zero emphasized the fact that the two youngsters were completely different kinds of players. While comparing Clark to Luka Doncic, he credited Reese for her rebounding ability. He added,
“I guess it’s the media and the fanbase trying to put them to against each other like this is still college. What they’re both doing is making history. Right? It’s not whose history is better, it’s that they’re both making history. They’re both doing something different. One’s a guard, one’s a big… If you separate them and watch them individually… They’re both doing great.”
While both the stars have been doing exceptionally well, it will be exciting to see who will win the prestigious award.
How have Caitlin Clark and Reese’s rookie years shaped so far?
Caitlin Clark was the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. The Fever had one of the worst records of the past season and it hasn’t changed much. But the arrival of Clark sure has given the team some hope going forward.
As per ESPN, Clark has averaged 17.1 points. 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in her first year with the Indiana Fever. Angel Reese, on the other hand, has been averaging double-digit rebounds with 13.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game with the Chicago Sky.
While both teams are in the middle of the league, the potential for both teams to only get better as their rookies develop is quite evident. But will the two players be willing to share the Rookie of the Year honors? We’ll find out soon enough.
