With a few weeks remaining until the league pauses for the Olympic break, it should come as no surprise that the WNBA Rookie of the Year race is already down to just two candidates, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky.
Clark and Reese may not have been drafted first and second overall in this year’s WNBA Draft, but they are the headliners of the class in terms of pre-existing notoriety. In addition to all that both players accomplished on the collegiate level, a rivalry between the two has been manufactured. That rivalry, for better or worse, transcends what either player does on the basketball court or the fact that they play completely different positions on said court.
While Clark came up short in two attempts to win a national championship, she led Iowa to unprecedented success, broke a bevy of program, conference, and national records, and made a mass of memorable shots from all over the court.
Reese, who had 80 double-doubles in 116 games over her four seasons with Maryland and LSU, led the Tigers to a national title over Clark’s Hawkeyes in 2023. She couldn’t replicate that same success in her final collegiate season, as Iowa ended the Tigers’ repeat hopes in the Elite Eight.
2024 WNBA Draft First Round Picks
Bolded and italicized players are not playing in the WNBA this season.
- Indiana Fever – Caitlin Clark, Iowa
- Los Angeles Sparks – Cameron Brink, Stanford
- Chicago Sky – Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
- Los Angeles Sparks – Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
- Dallas Wings – Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
- Washington Mystics – Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
- Chicago Sky – Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
- Minnesota Lynx – Alissa Pili, Utah
- Dallas Wings – Carla Leite, France
- Connecticut Sun – Leila Lacan, France
- New York Liberty – Marquesha Davis, Ole Miss
- Atlanta Dream – Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
While they were accustomed to success in college, the transition to the WNBA has not been a smooth one on both individual and team levels. That should be expected, given the situations they entered and the natural transition that takes place when moving from college to the professional ranks.
But as the season has progressed, both Clark and Reese have gotten more and more comfortable. And at the same time, some team success is starting to take place.
Chicago’s 88-87 win over Indiana on Sunday was their second straight win and took them to 6-9 on the season. And while the Fever were unable to close out the Sky at Wintrust Arena, they have won five of their last seven games and are now 7-11 for the season.
There’s a lot of basketball left this season, but both teams are squarely in the playoff picture at present. And with Cameron Brink out for the season after suffering a torn ACL last week and no other rookies even on the periphery of the conversation, the WNBA Rookie of the Year race is squarely focused on Clark and Reese.
Odds to Win 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year
2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year odds are courtesy of BetOnline, a longtime fixture among the top online sports betting sites. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then bag a big bonus (100% if your first deposit is with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or another cryptocurrency) to bet on Sunday’s WNBA games.
- Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever -850
- Angel Reese, Chicago Sky +500
Clark vs Reese in Two-Horse WNBA Rookie of the Year Race
Clark entered the season as a heavy favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, and that advantage has only increased, even with some shooting and turnover struggles early on.
Many may have been expecting Clark to light up the scoreboard in Indianapolis like she did in Iowa City, especially after she scored 20 points in her regular season debut against the Connecticut Sun, one of the best teams in the WNBA.
But in the 17 games since, she has hit the 20-point mark only four times. However, her shooting is improving, and she is in the midst of a solid all-around stretch.
Caitlin Clark Game Log and Season Statistics
Last Five Games for Caitlin Clark
- Chicago Sky (road – June 23): 17 points (5 of 11 FG, 5 of 9 3PT, 2 of 3 FT), 13 assists, six rebounds, four steals
- Atlanta Dream (road – June 21): 16 points (6 of 12 FG, 4 of 8 3PT, 0 of 1 FT), seven assists, four rebounds
- Washington Mystics (home – June 19): 18 points (6 of 12 FG, 2 of 6 3PT, 4 of 4 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists, four steals
- Chicago Sky (home – June 16): 23 points (7 of 11 FG, 3 of 7 3PT, 6 of 6 FT), nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks
- Atlanta Dream (home – June 13): 7 points (3 of 11 FG, 1 of 6 3PT), six assists, four rebounds, two blocks
2024 Season Statistics for Caitlin Clark
- Season (18 games): 16.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 39.9% FG, 35.2% 3PT, 88.9% FT
- May (9 games): 17.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.1 RPG, 37.7% FG, 32% 3PT, 89.4% FT
- June (9 games): 15.0 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.8 RPG, 42.6% FG, 35.7% 3PT, 88% FT
While the same expectations weren’t heaped upon Reese that were upon Clark, it took some time for the double-double machine to settle into doing what she does best.
In her first seven WNBA games, Reese recorded just one double-double. That came in her fifth game, an 11-point, 12-rebound performance against the Seattle Storm. And in her first seven games, she averaged 10.6 PPG and 8.9 RPG, numbers that are more than respectable but nothing in comparison to what she was doing just several weeks prior for LSU.
But after putting up 25 points and 16 rebounds against the Fever on Sunday, she now has eight consecutive double-doubles. In that stretch, she is averaging 15.5 PPG and 13.1 RPG. As a result, her WNBA Rookie of the Year hopes have improved.
Angel Reese Game Log and Season Statistics
Last Five Games for Angel Reese
- Indiana Fever (home – June 23): 25 points (8 of 12 FG, 9 of 11 FT), 16 rebounds
- Dallas Wings (home – June 20): 16 points (7 of 13 FG, 2 of 3 FT), 18 rebounds, three assists, two steals
- Indiana Fever (road – June 16): 11 points (4 of 13 FG, 3 of 3 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals
- Washington Mystics (road – June 14): 10 points (3 of 10 FG, 4 of 4 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists
- Connecticut Sun (home – June 12): 20 points (8 of 10 FG, 4 of 4 FT), 10 rebounds, two steals
2024 Season Statistics for Angel Reese
- Season (15 games): 13.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 40.6% FG, 76.2% FT
- May (6 games): 11.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 37.3% FG, 66.7% FT
- June (9 games): 14.6 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 42.5% FG, 82.4% FT
There is a lot to be said for the attention on these two rookies, their “rivalry,” and more specifically on Clark, whose recent “snub” from the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team made a wealth of unnecessary headlines. After all, there are a dozen teams in the WNBA, a lot of talented players, and numerous compelling storylines to watch for over the rest of the season.
But the three matchups between Clark and Reese have brought a lot of eyeballs in person, on TV, and online.
Their showdown in Indianapolis on June 16, which was televised by CBS, was the most watched WNBA game since 2001. That mark didn’t last very long, as last Sunday’s clash in Chicago, which was televised by ESPN, eclipsed it.
So, if we can get a close WNBA Rookie of the Year race between two players who could also be locked in a tight battle for a playoff spot, it can only be a good thing.
Will we get that? Reese has a lot of catching up to do still, based on the odds. But her recent play has given her a chance to at least close the gap in the coming weeks before the Olympic break and then after the season resumes in mid-August.
Whatever happens, there’s a lot to look forward to, even for neutrals, as these two bright stars continue to find their groove on the professional stage.
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Other WNBA Betting Information
Where to Bet on WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds and More
Thanks to the growing popularity of the WNBA and women’s basketball, WNBA odds are available far and wide this season.
In addition to offering odds on each game on the schedule, many sportsbooks also offer a variety of WNBA futures odds, such as these Rookie of the Year odds, championship winner odds, WNBA MVP odds, win total odds, and more.
There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for WNBA betting. In addition to BetOnline, here are several books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:
- BetDSI (review)
- BetUS (review)
- Bookmaker (review)
- Bovada (review)
- MyBookie (review)
- Sportsbetting.ag (review)
What if you don’t have an account at a book on this list? Check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.
Interested in Learning More About WNBA Betting?
Looking to learn more about the ins and outs of betting on the WNBA? Check out our WNBA betting guide. Also, if you’d like to learn more about betting on WNBA player prop bets, our NBA player props guide is a handy resource to utilize.
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