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Indiana Fever G Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky F Angel Reese have developed a spicy rivalry stemming from college over the last few years. Their ascension in the WNBA has not only elevated each other’s game, but it has helped the league and its meteoric rise. The W just signed a $2.2 billion media deal with ESPN, Amazon and NBC, which quadrupled its previous deal.
These 2 are here to stay, and some have even compared them to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s rivalry that elevated the NBA in the early 80’s. Clark, who is averaging 17.1 PPG, 8.2 APG and 5.8 RPG, just broke the league record with 19 assists Wednesday night. Reese etched her name in her own piece of history with 15 straight double-doubles.
Clark is the overwhelming favorite (-2000) to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Honestly, it’ll be difficult to capture the award away from her, but here is how it could happen.
Clark has taken a well-publicized beating on the court. She’s averaging 35.2 minutes a night, and her 3-point percentage has decreased from 37.8% at Iowa last year to 32.7% in the W. She has become more of a facilitator recently, averaging 12.4 dimes per game over the last 7. So it could take an injury or a decrease in performance to open the door for Reese, but she’s still knocking on the door.
Below, we analyze the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year odds from BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines and make our expert WNBA picks and predictions.
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2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at Thursday, July 18 at 2:20 p.m. ET.
- G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (-2000)
- F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (+750)
- F Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks (+25000)
- C Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky (+25000)
- F Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics (+25000)
For full list, see BetMGM Sportsbook.
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WNBA Rookie of the Year best bet
F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (+750)
Clark’s 24 points, 19 dimes and 6 boards Wednesday night lengthened her odds from -1100 to -2000 overnight, and Reese’s odds went from +575 to +750.
I would take advantage of this recency bias because Reese is quietly averaging 13.5 PPG, 12 RPG (most in league) and 1.5 steals (tied for 9th) on the season. She has also started dabbling with 3-pointers, and if she comes back from the All-Star break with more distance in her game, that only enhances what has been a great rookie season.
The Sky have also traded G Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun. Mabrey averaged 14 PPG and 6.7 three-point attempts per game. That will put a bigger onus on Reese offensively.
There really isn’t anyone else to consider here. Reese’s teammate Cardoso is big, 6-foot-7 center averaging 8.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.2 blocks, but Reese will depreciate her value toward this award. And those numbers pale in comparison to Clark and Reese. Jackson is having a nice season at 11.2 PPG, and Edwards is at 8.6 PPG and 5.9 RPG — neither of those move the needle.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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