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Angel Reese — not Caitlin Clark — currently leads the WNBA Rookie of the Year race.
That’s according to legendary South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, who was asked to pick between the two in a recent interview.
In fact, Staley said that it’s not even a debate.
“So you gonna try to put me in a controversy, right,” Staley jokingly replies when asked about the two. “They both are having great years. Don’t get me wrong. If I had to pick a rookie of the year at this time, it’s Angel. Not a doubt.
“What she’s been able to do with the double-doubles. But listen, the season is halfway through and Caitlin is coming … I’ll say this, whatever team makes the playoffs, that’s our rookie of the year.”
Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky currently occupy the final two playoff spots in the WNBA.
Dawn Staley Isn’t The Only One Who Things Angel Reese Is The WNBA ROTY
Both Clark and Reese have incredibly strong arguments for the award. And both are breaking rookie records seemingly daily.
But Staley’s choice is in line with that of the latest ESPN ranking, which had Reese only slightly ahead of Clark.
“For the most part, Reese has been a stat-stuffing dynamo in her debut campaign. She is a close second (behind Clark) in points per 100 possessions among rookies, leads by a mile in rebound rate and has been the best active defensive rookie following Brink’s injury,” ESPN’s Neil Paine writes.
“Aside from teammate Lindsay Allen, no member of the Sky has been associated with more of an uptick in the team’s performance while on the court than Reese, who has overseen a 16.6-point improvement in Chicago’s net rating when she’s in the game.”
Clark and Reese have not just lived up to the expectations. They’ve exceeded them.
And we can only imagine the controversy should they split the award…