Caitlin Clark Wins 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award; Angel Reese Receives 1 Vote

 

Caitlin Clark, the standout of the Indiana Fever, came one vote away from winning Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote.

On Thursday, the WNBA declared the results of the vote. Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky was the lone outlier, with Clark receiving 66 votes in the top spot.

Your 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team 🙌

Caitlin Clark (IND)
Rickea Jackson (LAS)
Angel Reese (CHI)
Kamilla Cardoso (CHI)
Leonie Fiebich (NYL)#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/TgU5hoEztP

— WNBA (@WNBA) October 3, 2024

 "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. "I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds."

Clark and Reese also claimed two of the five spots on the All-Rookie team

The ROY race wasn't necessarily over before the season began, but Clark opened with a large lead on the competition thanks to the hype she carried into her pro career. Expectations were through the roof following her legendary run at Iowa.

For a brief period, Reese arguably overtook Clark and put herself atop the rookie leaderboard. The 6'3" forward reeled off 15 straight double-doubles to set a WNBA record, while the Sky, who many pegged to be one of the league's worst teams, were on track to earn a playoff bid.

Meanwhile, the Fever, riding high on a 1-8 start, were still working their way out of the hole they had dug for themselves. Clark's performance was similar to her team's as she dealt with the inevitable challenges that come with making the transition from college to the WNBA.

After the halfway break for the Summer Olympics, the balance clearly swung in Clark's advantage. She averaged 23.1 points, 8.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in Indiana's final 14 games. She also made 37.0 percent of her shots from outside the arc and 43.5 percent from the field.

Reese was still a double-double machine, but a wrist injury kept him out of Chicago's final six games. Her chances of winning Rookie of the Year were further hampered by the Sky's 2-12 record to end the season and miss the postseason.

With 19 and 337 assists, respectively, Clark went on to set the league records for both a single game and a full season. She also accomplished the triple-double twice, making history as the first rookie in WNBA history.


The 6'0" guard now has the hardware to show that her debut season was historically momentous.