On ESPN’s WNBA Countdown on Sunday, analyst Carolyn Peck joined LaChina Robinson to share thoughts on the WNBA Rookie of the Year chase.
It’s clear that it’s now a two-player race between Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.
In the countdown to the day’s slate of games, Peck made her case for why Reese would garner her vote over Clark at this point in the season.
.@CAROLYNPECK says Angel Reese has to get the nod for the WNBA ROTY award 🏆
“This is a player who has come in and is putting up grown woman numbers.” 😤 pic.twitter.com/Z5OlsgY6YK
— ESPN (@espn) July 7, 2024
“I mean, it is a thin, thin line. It’s really tight, but when you look at where the teams are, and I also went a little deeper and I looked at plus-minus and I also looked at net rating. And when you look at that, Angel Reese has to get the nod.
“I know it’s not a popular position to take, because Angel Reese has to do the dirty work. I have said, it’s not sexy to have to battle and rebound inside and when you’ve got to do the blue-collar work, but this is a player that has come in as a rookie and is putting up grown-woman numbers. Twelve double-doubles in a row. I mean, in one season. When you see a young woman come in like that and do that, I would have to give the nod with her efficiency rating and also plus-minus,” Peck said.
Both are doing remarkable things during their rookie WNBA campaigns. On Saturday, Clark became the first WNBA rookie in history to record a triple-double. Clark finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. The 6-foot rookie phenom shot 7-of-17 from the floor, including 3-of-12 from 3-point range.
Then, on Sunday, Reese set the all-time WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles at 13 straight games. After tallying 17 points and 14 rebounds on Sunday in an 84-71 loss at the Seattle Storm, Reese surpassed Candace Parker’s old WNBA record of 12 consecutive double-doubles.
Through her first 22 games, Clark is averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Clark is shooting 39.3% from the field, 33.1% from 3-point distance and 88.8% from the free throw line.
Through her first 20 games, Reese is averaging 14.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Reese is shooting 41.8% from the field and 75.2% from the foul line.
Reese’s plus-minus is 1.4 versus Clark’s -5.2 and Reese’s net rating is 2.3 versus Clark’s -8.1.
Clark’s effective field goal percentage is 50.2% and her true shooting percentage is 56.5% compared to Reese’s 42.2% and 49.5%.
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