ESPN’s Monica McNutt has sparked controversy with her latest remarks about Caitlin Clark, questioning the WNBA Rookie of the Year selection process to undermine Clark’s candidacy. During her appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, McNutt asserted that Clark doesn’t deserve the award and instead backed Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky for the honor.
“My rookie of the year is going to go based on the standings,” McNutt declared. “And the Sky right now are in the playoffs. So, you’d have to give the nod in my mind to Angel Reese.”
Monica McNutt’s recent comments on ESPN’s Get Up have stirred up debate over the WNBA Rookie of the Year (ROTY) award, as she argued against Caitlin Clark’s candidacy, favoring Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky instead. McNutt’s main point was that Reese’s team has a better record, hence she deserves the award. However, this claim is contentious.
To begin with, the Chicago Sky has one fewer win (7) compared to Clark’s Indiana Fever (8), though the Sky has played fewer games (19) than the Fever (21). Furthermore, as noted by Outkick, the number of games won has never been a decisive factor in past ROTY selections. For instance, last year’s winner, Aliyah Boston of the Fever, clinched the award despite her team having the third-worst record in the league. Notably, McNutt did not oppose Boston’s win.
This pattern holds in the NBA as well. This year, Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs won the NBA ROTY award despite his team finishing among the bottom five.
Moreover, in head-to-head matchups this season, Clark’s Fever have triumphed over Reese’s Sky in two out of three games.
Statistically, ESPN’s own data reveals that Clark outperforms Reese in several key areas. Clark averages 16 points per game compared to Reese’s 13.2, 7.1 assists to Reese’s 1.9, and nearly matches Reese in steals (1.3 vs. 1.4). While Reese leads significantly in rebounds (11.8 to Clark’s 5.7), this disparity is largely due to their different playing positions—Reese plays closer to the basket.
Given these points, it raises the question: Why is McNutt so determined to discredit Caitlin Clark? Clark’s remarkable performance has not only showcased her skills but has also significantly boosted WNBA viewership and fan engagement, arguably more than any other player, including Angel Reese.
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