Featured Columnist IVOctober 3, 2024
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was one vote away from being a unanimous Rookie of the Yr winner.
The WNBA introduced the voting results Thursday. Clark obtained 66 first-place votes, and the lone outlier went to the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.
WNBA @WNBA
From #1 general decide to ROTY 👑
Caitlin Clark is your 2024 WNBA @Kia Rookie of the Yr!
Clark averaged 19.2 PPG , 5.7 RPG, and led the league with 8.4 APG, changing into the primary rookie to ever lead in that class 👏#KiaROY | #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/aNqeGgtXA2
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
The second CC & the Fever received the ROY name 🥹👏
(through @IndianaFever)
“I’m extremely honored to be named Rookie of the Yr, however greater than that, I’m grateful to everybody that supported me all through this previous season—my household and buddies, my teammates, the Fever group and everybody that cheered us on all season,” Clark said. “I’m so pleased with what we achieved and so excited for what the longer term holds.”
Clark and Reese additionally claimed two of the 5 spots on the All-Rookie workforce:
WNBA @WNBA
Your 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Crew 🙌
Caitlin Clark (IND)
Rickea Jackson (LAS)
Angel Reese (CHI)
Kamilla Cardoso (CHI)
Leonie Fiebich (NYL)#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/TgU5hoEztP
The ROY race wasn’t essentially over earlier than the season started, however Clark opened with a big lead on the competitors because of the hype she carried into her professional profession. Expectations had been by way of the roof following her legendary run at Iowa.
For a quick interval, Reese arguably overtook Clark and put herself atop the rookie leaderboard. The 6’3″ ahead reeled off 15 straight double-doubles to set a WNBA file, whereas the Sky, who many pegged to be one of many league’s worst groups, had been on observe to earn a playoff bid.
The Fever, in the meantime, had been nonetheless digging themselves out of the outlet they dug because of a 1-8 begin. Clark’s efficiency mirrored that of her workforce as she encountered the pure difficulties that may include the bounce from faculty to the WNBA.
The pendulum shifted firmly in Clark’s favor after the midseason break for the Summer time Olympics. In Indiana’s remaining 14 video games, she averaged 23.1 factors, 8.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds. She additionally shot 43.5 p.c from the sector and 37.0 p.c from past the arc.
Reese continued to be a double-double machine however missed Chicago’s remaining six video games because of a wrist damage. The Sky going 2-12 to complete out the marketing campaign and miss the postseason did not assist her Rookie of the Yr candidacy, both.
Clark set the league’s single-game and single-season help data with 19 and 337, respectively. She additionally turned the primary rookie in WNBA historical past to publish a triple-double and pulled off the feat twice.
The 6’0″ guard had a traditionally vital rookie season, and now she has the {hardware} to show it.
