Caitlin Clark finds a way to surprise in Rookie of the Year race with a strong message to Angel Reese

Clark guided the playoff-bound Fever to the sixth seed in the WNBA.

As soon as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert named Caitlin Clark as the first overall pick in April’s draft, the clock started ticking on when the Indiana Fever guard would earn her first individual trophy: Rookie of the Year, MVP, and so on. However, Clark faced stiff opposition from a talented rookie class of young players viewed as potentially revolutionary characters in the WNBA.

Clark’s main competitor for Rookie of the Year was her collegiate “rival” Angel Reese, who set rebounding and double-double records in her first season with the Chicago Sky. However, when Reese’s rookie year ended prematurely due to injury, it appeared just a matter of time before Clark was awarded Rookie of the Year — but even then, the former Iowa standout has found a way to transcend expectations. Clark’s unanimous ROTY win

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Clark was voted the WNBA’s unanimous first of the Year on Sunday, following a stellar first season in which the Fever advanced to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Despite averaging 13.6 points, Reese did not receive a single first place vote.

and 13.1 rebounds; her team missed the playoffs by two games. Clark, who scored 19.2 points per game and led the league with 8.4 assists per game, was named to the All-WNBA first team, along with league MVP A’ja Wilson, Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier, triple-double machine Alyssa Thomas, and 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart. “This is a tremendous honor to be named The Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” Clark told me. “This recognition wouldn’t be possible without an incredible group of teammates and coaches, and we are looking forward to continuing an exciting regular season in the postseason.” The Fever will face Thomas and the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday afternoon, and while a title is not expected in Indiana this season, Clark has helped shape the foundation on which the Fever can rise to serious contention in the coming seasons. When Chicago returns to full health in 2025, Reese and the Sky will have to come up with their own answer.