NFL legend Shannon Sharpe is clearly not happy with how the WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese went.

Clark won Rookie of the Year after a dominant performance throughout the 2024 season, which saw her lead all rookies in scoring (19.2) and top the whole league in assists (8.4).

Along with breaking several records—including the rookie scoring mark (769)—the All-Star guard also propelled the Fever to the WNBA playoffs as the team finished with a 20-20 record, good for the sixth seed.

Despite the fact that no other rookie came close to what she had done, Clark still failed to win the Rookie of the Year award unanimously. She got 66 of 67 votes, with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese getting one vote.

While Reese was equally great during her first year, averaging 13.6 points and a league-best 13.1 rebounds, she suffered an injury late in the season and missed their final six games. The Sky also didn’t make playoffs after tallying a 13-27 record.

 

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5)Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Having said that, Sharpe expressed his belief that Clark should have been a unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year.

“I don’t know how you come to the conclusion that she wasn’t the unanimous ROTY,” Sharpe shared.

“She led the rookies in scoring, she led them in assists, she averaged like five, six rebounds a game. She set records for scoring, assists, three-pointers. … Let’s not get into it.”

For what it’s worth, it’s not only Shannon Sharpe who has an issue with the fact that Caitlin Clark didn’t win unanimous Rookie of the Year.

Former WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike argued recently that there should have been no other player to get a vote for ROTY other than the Fever guard. Meanwhile, ESPN reporter Andraya Carter called for the league to make the voting non-anonymous so that voters can stand on their choice and fans can know why they made their picks.

The WNBA has yet to respond to all the criticisms with regard to the voting, though as the disapproval continues to mount, the Association might want to address it soon.