WNBA Rookie Rankings: Jacy Sheldon makes first appearance, Angel Reese sits at No. 1 over Caitlin Clark© Provided by CBS Sports
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese owns the No. 1 spot in CBS Sports’ WNBA Rookie Rankings after making history with eight consecutive double-doubles. Teammate Kamilla Cardoso also moved up this week and currently sits at No. 3.
The Sky pulled off an 88-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday while Reese and Cardoso became the first rookie duo to register 15+ points and 10+ rebounds in the same game since 1998.
The Los Angeles Sparks will have to do without Cameron Brink for the remainder of the season as she suffered a torn ACL, but they still have Rickea Jackson enjoying an excellent rookie season. Jackson comes in at No. 4 this week, while Dallas Wings guard Jacy Sheldon is making her Rookie Rankings debut at No. 5.
Here is a closer look at the latest CBS Sports WNBA Rookie Rankings:
1. Angel Reese
Reese has been productive on the boards and is currently No. 2 in the league with 11.1 rebounds per game. Against Indiana, she tallied a career-high 25 points along with 16 rebounds, and she’s now just one double-double away from tying Candace Parker’s single-season record streak from 2015.
Reese’s rebounding skills translated to the WNBA right away, but she had been struggling to finish around the basket. Earlier this month, Atlanta Dream center Tina Charles told her to take her time when trying to score, and Reese said that advice has helped her improve her field goal percentage. Since June 8, Reese has been at least at 50% in four of six games.
2. Caitlin Clark
Clark is averaging a solid 16.3 points per game while also passing the ball extremely well. Her 13 assists against the Sky were the most in Fever history. Clark is averaging 6.6 assists per game, good for fourth best in the WNBA.
But, of course, Clark is known for her shooting range, and that skill is also translating nicely. She has registered a total of 51 3-pointers so far, just one less than Sabrina Ionescu and Kayla McBride for the league lead.
3. Kamilla Cardoso
Cardoso registered a career-high 16 points against the Fever while going 7-for-9 from the field. That was her third consecutive game with at least 10 rebounds, as well as her second double-double in the WNBA. She and Reese will be a tough frontcourt to face as they continue to develop.
“[Angel’s] game is translating really well and I’m picking up on that, too,” Cardoso said Sunday. “I want to be a rebounder, I want to be able to make layups, so that’s something we focus on as a post player and forward.”
4. Rickea Jackson
The Sparks are struggling this season to the tune of a 4-13 record. Nevertheless, Jackson has been one of the most promising rookies along with teammate Cameron Brink — who will unfortunately miss the remainder of the season because of a torn ACL.
Jackson’s stats were not particularly eye-catching this week, but a lot of that has to do with the Sparks playing back-to-back games against the New York Liberty, the hottest team in the league at the moment. Jackson recorded seven points, one rebound and a steal in just 16 minutes during a 98-88 loss to New York on Saturday.
5. Jacy Sheldon
The Wings have lost 11 straight games, and Maddy Siegrist, one of the team’s most consistent scorers, will be out for a while because of a broken finger on her non-shooting hand. The injury happened last week and led to Sheldon moving into the starting lineup.
Sheldon is showing she can handle more minutes, averaging 11 points, four rebounds, and 2.8 assists over the last four games. Sheldon registered a career-high 16 points against the Washington Mystics on Saturday. In that game, she went 6-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
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