ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe recently hosted his “Night Cap” podcast with former NFL star Chad Johnson. The two discussed a decision made by WNBA Rookie of the Year voters involving Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Clark was awarded the Rookie of the Year after a historic season with the Indiana Fever. The All-Star guard received 66 first-place votes.
She was one vote shy of being named a unanimous Rookie of the Year, with Chicago Sky Angel Reese earning one first-place vote.
Sharpe doesn’t agree with the WNBA voters, explaining that Clark should have been the unanimous pick, given her record-breaking rookie season.
He believes Clark clearly topped Reese in 2024 and simply couldn’t fathom a voter picking the Sky forward to win the award.
“I don’t know how you come to the conclusion that she wasn’t unanimous,” Sharpe said. “She led the rookies in scoring, she led them in assists. She averaged like 5-6 rebounds a game. She set records for scoring, assists, three pointers… Let’s not get into all this… This draft class, led by Caitlin Clark, it’s gonna be one, they’re gonna remember this.”
In her rookie season with the Fever, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
She was tied with Kelsey Mitchell in terms of average scoring on the Fever and broke the franchise record for the most points scored by a rookie in a single season, posting 769 points in 2024.
The rookie was also able to translate her individual success into winning. She helped the Fever secure the No. 6 seed in the WNBA standings with a 20-20 record, making their first trip to the playoffs in 2016.
Reese also had a phenomenal season, ending the year as the only rookie to average a couple-double with 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-3 forward led the WNBA in average rebounds during her rookie season.
While she had a terrific year, Sharpe believes Clark has been more valuable, given her ability to push the Fever to the playoffs and serve as one of the most versatile players in the league with her scoring and playmaking.
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