The new season of the WNBA is off to a flying start with an all-time high viewership, to the extent that teams are switching up to bigger arenas. And what better to top it off than a fast-paced and heated rookie rivalry? Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are in a battle for the Rookie of the Year title this season. And everyone is in with their pick. LA Sparks’ Lexie Brown picked CC over Reese for the coveted title.
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Considering the sensitivity of the topic, Brown played the diplomatic card while answering the question. Hesitating to give a straight answer, she added that it’s more about personal preference. However, she couldn’t keep her opinion aside for a long time. The 2021 WNBA Champion said,
“For me, I’m valuing the IQ, passing, shot making ability of Caitlin Clark. Then you go on the flip side, and Angel winning ROTM, breaking WNBA records, doing things like that, rebounding. So, it’s like what you value more.”
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Declaring her pick in the debate, she said, “For me, the way I like to play basketball, my vote would be for Caitlin. But it’s close.” Brown also said that she wouldn’t be mad if anyone disagreed with her answer and picked Reese.
As per her, the bigger picture here is that the league has two rookies going toe to toe with one another which is a rare sight. While the Sparks star showed hesitation in her answer, Rashad McCants was pretty straightforward with his pick. He said,
“Definitely Caitlin, and that’s no shade to Angel. It’s just what Caitlin has to face on a nightly basis, like them trying to stop her…she can’t get equal opportunity as everyone else.”
McCants added that despite being in the same league, Clark faces tougher competition because she has had a target on her back from the beginning.
This seems to be the result of the star power she entered the league with. McCants said that if Clark was operating on a level field like her peers, she would average more than 25 points per game. In 21 games so far, Clark is averaging 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, per game, which is incredible considering McCants’ statement about her facing more challenges than others.
