Angel Reese Prevented Caitlin Clark From Making WNBA History After Rookie of the Year Voting
It’s been nearly a week since The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark had won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award, but on Thursday, the league finally acknowledged her latest honor.
There were 67 total voters for the award, and Clark came just one vote short of being named the unanimous Rookie of the Year, receiving 66 votes. The 67th and final vote went to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who also had a remarkable year.
According to StatMamba on X, had Clark received all 67 votes, she would have been the first guard in WNBA history to be named the unanimous Rookie of the Year. But Reese, commonly known as Clark’s biggest rival, has prevented that.
There have been four unanimous winners of the award in the past, all of which were forwards. Those players include Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston (2023), Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson (2018), Elena Delle Donne of the Sky (2013) and Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun (2010).
Clark finished her rookie year with the single-season assist record, tallying 337 through 40 games, passing Sun forward Alyssa Thomas’ previous record of 316 set in 2023. And, unlike Reese, Clark led Indiana to a postseason appearance.
Reese also had a historic rookie season, breaking Candace Parker’s record for the most consecutive double-doubles. The former LSU Tigers star also broke the single-season rebounding record, but with her year ending six games early due to a wrist injury, Wilson, the 2024 MVP, was able to surpass Reese’s record and create her own.
Regardless of who won the award, Clark and Reese have given Fever and Sky fans, respectively, something to be excited about for the foreseeable future.