As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert discovered last week, discussing rookie rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese can be fraught, as comparisons of on-court performances often implicate racial and gender biases that should not go unchecked.
Here, we’re going to celebrate the star rookies from the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. The achievements and abilities of both deserve attention in Rookie of the Year assessments.
Łukasz Muniowski takes a look at the historic accomplishments of Caitlin Clark, while Edwin Garcia praises the persistent impact of Angel Reese.
Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
The MVP. The player most instrumental to her team’s success.
Let’s focus on that for a moment. The Indiana Fever are third in the league in points per game, offensive rating and pace. Last year, they were seventh, sixth and 10th, respectively. While there was some growth involved with this young team, the arrival of Caitlin Clark sped up its development by a year or two, at least. The playoffs seemed a lofty goal prior to the start of the season, but they made it.
Individually, despite some…
