To the surprise of nobody, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been named this season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year after her teammate Aliyah Boston won the honor last season.
Clark lived up to the hype that comes from being the No. 1 overall pick, as she averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the league become more popular than it has been. The former Iowa Hawkeye also earned her first WNBA All-Star selection and led the Indiana Fever to their first playoffs since 2016 after guiding the team to a 20-20 record.
She could’ve been the fifth player in WNBA history to win the prestigious award unanimously, as a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters gave Caitlin Clark 66 of 67 votes in the ballot released on Thursday.
But the other vote went to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who broke the single-season record for rebounds. The LSU product also had a great campaign, averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, but she missed the Chicago Sky’s final six games due to a season-ending wrist injury.
Caitlin Clark reflects on her debut season with the Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever’s 2024 campaign was cut short after they lost to the Connecticut Sun in two games in the first round. Despite their early exit, Caitlin Clark sees a bright future for herself and the squad.
“I’m a tough grader. I feel like I had a solid year,” Clark said. “For me, the fun part is like I feel like I’m just scratching the surface and I’m the one that’s nitpicking every single thing I do. I know I want to help this franchise.”
“I know there’s a lot of room for me to continue to improve so that’s what excites me the most. I feel like I continue to get a lot better,” she added.
