Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named WNBA rookie of the year on Thursday, providing a resolution to a fierce debate that raged among media members and fans throughout the season.
Clark beat out Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, whom she faced twice in the NCAA tournament, in a poll of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters, who were asked to select a single winner rather than rank a list of candidates. The 22-year-old guard received 66 votes while Reese received one. The WNBA does not make public the names of award voters and their selections. Clark was previously named the Associated Press’s rookie of the year in unanimous fashion last month.
“I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season — my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season,” Clark said in a statement. “I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds.”
Clark and Reese were also named to the WNBA all-rookie team alongside Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.
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Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in 40 appearances as a rookie, leading the WNBA in assists while setting rookie records for points and three-pointers. She also paced the league in all-star votes, finished fourth in MVP voting, earned first-team all-WNBA honors and guided the Fever to its first playoff appearance since 2016, all while driving record television viewership, attendance figures and merchandise sales.
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The 2024 No. 1 pick became the third Fever player to win rookie of the year, joining teammate Aliyah Boston (2023) and Hall of Fame guard Tamika Catchings (2002). Clark was also the third consecutive No. 1 overall pick to claim the award after Boston and Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (2022).
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert delivered the news to Clark during the Fever’s first-round playoff series against the Connecticut Sun.
“Caitlin, it feels like just yesterday when I called your name to the stage as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft,” Engelbert said by telephone. “You held the Indiana Fever jersey for the first time. What a record-breaking season for you and the entire team full of outstanding performances. I know all of your hard work and dedication has paid off with your playoff [appearance]. I know the best is yet to come. Congratulations, Caitlin.”
Clark and Reese, who faced off in the 2023 NCAA national championship game and the 2024 Elite Eight, were painted as award rivals by television talking heads and social media users for much of the season. While Clark was a two-time Naismith Award winner, Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2023 championship in a matchup that solidified both players as household names. The following year, Iowa defeated LSU en route to its second straight appearance in the national championship game.
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Reese, 22, averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, and she registered a league-best 26 double-doubles in her 34 appearances, including a record 15 in a row. After earning all-star honors and setting a rookie record for total rebounds, the 2024 No. 7 pick suffered a wrist injury that sidelined her for Chicago’s final six games. Meanwhile, the Sky lost 12 of its final 14 games to fall out of the playoffs.
Clark and the sixth-seeded Fever were swept out of the first round by the third-seeded Sun.
Clark beat out Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, whom she faced twice in the NCAA tournament, in a poll of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters, who were asked to select a single winner rather than rank a list of candidates. The 22-year-old guard received 66 votes while Reese received one. The WNBA does not make public the names of award voters and their selections. Clark was previously named the Associated Press’s rookie of the year in unanimous fashion last month.
“I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season — my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season,” Clark said in a statement. “I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds.”
Clark and Reese were also named to the WNBA all-rookie team alongside Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.
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Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in 40 appearances as a rookie, leading the WNBA in assists while setting rookie records for points and three-pointers. She also paced the league in all-star votes, finished fourth in MVP voting, earned first-team all-WNBA honors and guided the Fever to its first playoff appearance since 2016, all while driving record television viewership, attendance figures and merchandise sales.
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The 2024 No. 1 pick became the third Fever player to win rookie of the year, joining teammate Aliyah Boston (2023) and Hall of Fame guard Tamika Catchings (2002). Clark was also the third consecutive No. 1 overall pick to claim the award after Boston and Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (2022).
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert delivered the news to Clark during the Fever’s first-round playoff series against the Connecticut Sun.
“Caitlin, it feels like just yesterday when I called your name to the stage as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft,” Engelbert said by telephone. “You held the Indiana Fever jersey for the first time. What a record-breaking season for you and the entire team full of outstanding performances. I know all of your hard work and dedication has paid off with your playoff [appearance]. I know the best is yet to come. Congratulations, Caitlin.”
Clark and Reese, who faced off in the 2023 NCAA national championship game and the 2024 Elite Eight, were painted as award rivals by television talking heads and social media users for much of the season. While Clark was a two-time Naismith Award winner, Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2023 championship in a matchup that solidified both players as household names. The following year, Iowa defeated LSU en route to its second straight appearance in the national championship game.
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Reese, 22, averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, and she registered a league-best 26 double-doubles in her 34 appearances, including a record 15 in a row. After earning all-star honors and setting a rookie record for total rebounds, the 2024 No. 7 pick suffered a wrist injury that sidelined her for Chicago’s final six games. Meanwhile, the Sky lost 12 of its final 14 games to fall out of the playoffs.
Clark and the sixth-seeded Fever were swept out of the first round by the third-seeded Sun.
