Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese (Photos via Getty Images)
Basketball fans are teeing off on a WNBA legend over her controversial take on rookie superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Caitlin Clark, the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, is a virtual lock to win Rookie of the Year honors. The 22-year-old is playing like an MVP candidate, averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Angel Reese broke the WNBA rebounds single-season record on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx, surpassing the mark of 404 that Sylvia Fowles set in 2018. Reese is already up to 418 on the year.
After Reese broke the record, Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie took to X/Twitter and stated that both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese deserve to win Rookie of the Year honors:
I don’t care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year Award! The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations! Take a bow ladies👏🏽👏🏽
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 2, 2024
Needless to say, plenty of fans weren’t buying Leslie’s hot take:
Lisa, we have a lot of respect for you but let’s be serious for a second
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) September 2, 2024
How are you all including Reese just because of one category (Rebounds) when Caitlin is dominating almost every other stat? Plus, she’s leading her team to a 6th seed playoff spot.
Afraid of media backlash if you admit it’s Caitlin Clark? Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/8fkoRxpF8E
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 2, 2024
Just disrespectful to what Clark is doing
— Pam (@lilkasperss) September 2, 2024
Lost all respect for Leslie today.
Clark leads Reese in EVERY STAT CATEGORY except rebounding.
Clark LEADS THE WHOLE #WNBA in points scored+assisted-on points by a WIDE margin.
Reese leads the WNBA with the worst shooting % inside 6 feet. pic.twitter.com/AuOB2UUWo7
— Corey Clayton (@CoreyClayton) September 2, 2024
With all respect, absolutely not. This isn’t Rec Ball. The difference between them is huge. What an embarrassment that would be.
— jojo07 (@incogneeeeto) September 2, 2024
I love your outlook, and I loved you as a player also. With that being said please limit your comments to accounts you follow because there’s a fanbase that won’t agree with you.❤️
— J_CLUTCH2 (@clutch2_j) September 2, 2024
No, they do not.
When else in the history of basketball has a great rebounder ever been compared to the game’s most elite offensive engine?
Dennis Rodman was fantastic! Nobody ever mentioned him in the same breath as Michael Jordan.
Y’all really need to stop with this.
— Hardwood Junkies (@hardwoodjunkies) September 2, 2024
There it is.. the dumbest thing I’ll read on Twitter all year.
— Sekrah (@sekrah) September 2, 2024
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are both having remarkable and historic rookie seasons, but it’s hard to argue that the Chicago Sky star will win the award over the Iowa product.
The Fever haven’t finished above .500 since 2015, and they last made the postseason in 2016. Clark joined an Indiana team that went 6-16, 6-26, 5-31 and 13-27 over the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have played significant parts in growing the WNBA this year, and they’ll continue to do so for years to come. But without a doubt, the Rookie of the Year Award is Clark’s to lose.
Caitlin Clark & Fever Have A Playoff Spot In Their Grasp
Barring an awful collapse of historic proportions, the Fever (17-16) will end their eight-year playoff drought this year. They have been on fire coming out of the Olympic break and sit 5.5 games clear of the ninth-seeded Atlanta Dream, who are on the outside looking in.
A playoff spot is essentially locked up. All the Fever have to do now is try and secure home advantage for the opening round.
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