Even though Caitlin Clark is the runaway Rookie of the Year, some WNBA fans and analysts continue to push the Angel Reese narrative because of her impressive numbers on the glass. The debate was settled on Friday in Chicago.
Indiana’s No. 1 overall pick outplayed the No. 7 overall pick during a blowout win and received a massive ovation on the road.
The Fever defeated the Sky 100-81. Clark finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Reese finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.
However, as we have seen on multiple occasions in recent weeks, a large number of the 6-foot-3 forward’s boards are off of her own misses. To say that she is intentionally “stat-padding” is not a fair accusation. To say that she is unintentionally padding stats is an accurate representation of her play.
Clark’s numbers are not juiced in the same way as Reese and her play is helping the team win. Wins are obviously more valuable than losses— so if you look at ‘Rookie of the Year’ as ‘first-year MVP,’ there is no need to continue this conversation. The player with better overall numbers, on the team that wins games, deserves the ROY crown.
Putting wins and losses and stats aside, Clark is more popular than Reese in Reese’s home arena.
— Oh Yes He Did (@OhYesHeDid24) August 31, 2024
She will come into your town and make your fans cheer louder for her than you. Does that not settle it?
Caitlin Clark is the better and more popular player!
Even some of Reese’s biggest supporters flipped their script after Friday.
Regardless of where you stand on the ROY conversation, Clark does not care. She even threw some shade at the media for making it such an important honor, when in reality, it doesn’t matter.
I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer. You don’t wake up and think about individual awards. I know that’s what all of [the media] think we do. We don’t. That’s what everybody wants to make this about. Both of our teams are competing for playoff spots. That’s our main focus.
— Caitlin Clark
A WNBA championship is the only thing on her mind in any given moment.
That’s a selfish thing to just care about an individual award, and she would give you the same exact answer. I’m sure she has given you the same exact answer. Our focus is on winning basketball games. It’s simple as that. It’s winning basketball games, and that was the same story for us when we were in college.
— Caitlin Clark
Ego is nonexistent.
If you’re playing basketball to win individual awards, no matter what level you’re on, you’re doing it wrong, and that’s not fun, and that’s not being a good teammate.
— Caitlin Clark
Anyone who still believes that Angel Reese deserves to be named the WNBA’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ over Caitlin Clark after watching Friday’s game is just trying to be controversial and stir up drama. Making the playoffs is more important anyway.