South Carolina coach [autotag]Dawn Staley[/autotag] has quite a bit of familiarity with both [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and [autotag]Caitlin Clark[/autotag].
Her Gamecocks teams faced the former three times, including the SEC Championship Game this past season, and they faced the latter in back-to-back Final Fours including a national title game victory this past season.
Staley is uniquely qualified to discuss the growing rivalry between the two players, who are the clear favorites at this point to win Rookie of the Year. While Clark is seen as the leader in the clubhouse, Reese is closing the gap with her still-active WNBA record double-double streak.
Speaking with TMZ, Staley said she would give the Rookie of the Year nod to Reese at the moment, though she acknowledged there’s a lot of basketball yet to be played and Clark won’t go down without a fight.
“They both are having great years. Don’t get me wrong,” Staley said. “If I had to pick a Rookie of the Year at this time, today, it’s Angel. Not a doubt. I mean, what she’s been able to do with the double-doubles. But listen, the season is halfway through. And Caitlin is coming. Oh, oh, Caitlin is coming. If I had to pick today it’s Angel. I’ll say this, whatever team makes the playoff, that’s our Rookie of the Year.”
The race will likely remain heated until the end of the season, but the more records Reese continues to set, the better her chances will be — especially if she can help lead the Chicago Sky to the playoffs.
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