Having etched her title throughout the document e-book through the 2024 WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has been named the league’s Rookie of the Yr, league sources informed The Athletic on Friday.
That Clark gained the award got here as little shock contemplating how prolific her debut season was.
Clark broke each the WNBA’s single-season and single-game help information. She scored essentially the most factors by a rookie ever, and essentially the most factors by a degree guard ever. She grew to become the primary rookie to document two triple-doubles and the primary Fever participant ever to document a triple-double.
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These are simply a few of her many accomplishments amongst averaging 19.2 factors and eight.4 assists per recreation — numbers that have been even higher within the second half of the season — and led the Fever to their first postseason look since 2016. Indiana additionally improved its win complete by seven in 2024.
Clark, the No. 1 decide within the 2024 WNBA Draft, entered the league because the most-anticipated rookie in league historical past. She flourished at Iowa for 4 seasons, main the Hawkeyes to 2 Closing Fours and setting the ladies’s NCAA Division I and main school girls’s basketball scoring information.
The spectacle round Clark adopted her to the skilled ranks. Whereas Clark dazzled followers and tormented opponents, she additionally performed an instrumental function in a season of explosive development for the WNBA. Six completely different league tv companions set viewership information this 12 months for its highest seen WNBA recreation, and all six included the Fever.
Attendance in Indianapolis hit a document excessive, with a mean of 17,036 followers packing Gainbridge Fieldhouse for dwelling video games. Indiana led the league in attendance for the primary time in WNBA historical past.
Friday’s information, nevertheless, will not be a mirrored image of the off-court Clark Impact, however her successes between the court docket’s 4 traces.
“She’s been particular,” Indiana coach Christie Sides stated forward of the playoffs. “She got here into the very best league on the planet, the very best girls’s basketball league on the planet. She discovered her footing. She’s continued to get higher. She’s put herself in place to be known as the most effective gamers within the league. That’s unimaginable for a rookie.”
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For the primary half of the season, the Rookie of the Yr race appeared as if it will be among the many tightest ever. By way of the primary two months of the season, Angel Reese helped the Sky stay in playoff rivalry. She had 14 double-doubles in 20 video games and broke Candace Parker’s consecutive double-double streak.
Reese, like Clark, earned All-Star honors and was awarded WNBA Rookie of the Month in June. She set the league’s single-season complete rebound document (446) and recorded the best per-game rebound common in WNBA historical past (13.1).
The No. 7 draft decide, Reese would have grow to be solely the third participant taken after No. 6 within the WNBA Draft to win Rookie of the Yr. However her second half proved completely different than her first. Chicago slumped and Reese ultimately was dominated out for the remainder of the season on Sept. 8 with a wrist harm. The Sky missed the postseason.
Through the season Clark and Reese downplayed the significance of the race.
“I’m positive (Angel) would provide the identical actual reply—I’m positive she has given you a similar actual reply,” Clark stated in late August. “So for us, everyone can write that, however our focus is on successful basketball video games. It’s so simple as that.”
Mentioned Reese: “We don’t both care about Rookie of the Yr. I believe you guys have made it an enormous factor. We haven’t. We each wish to win. We’ve been desirous to win, and that’s what we’ve achieved in our collegiate profession.”
Clark grew to become the third consecutive No. 1 decide to win prime rookie honors.
“I do know there’s loads of room for me to proceed to enhance,” Clark stated after the Fever have been knocked out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Solar. “I really feel like I had a stable 12 months, however for me, the enjoyable half is I really feel like I’m simply scratching the floor.”
Collier wins DPOY award
From the start of the common season till its conclusion, the Minnesota Lynx had one of many WNBA’s prime defenses. And that protection now boasts the league’s prime defender after Napheesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Participant of the Yr award winner, league sources informed The Athletic on Friday.
The Lynx completed the 12 months first in opponent discipline aim share (41), first in opponent 3-point share (30.1), first in opponent help charge (18.6), and a detailed second in defensive ranking (94.8). Collier’s versatility was key to all their success as an anchor Minnesota’s protection.
Typically Collier was tasked with guarding an opponent’s prime frontcourt gamers. At different moments, she rotated over to offer essential assist. She was particularly impactful in opposition to prime competitors because the Lynx went 7-4 in opposition to the opposite top-four playoff seeds, together with Minnesota’s Commissioner’s Cup victory.
Collier completed second within the WNBA in steals per recreation (1.9) and eighth in blocks (1.4 per recreation). In accordance with Synergy Sports activities, opponents shot solely 34.3 p.c in opposition to her.
“I’m so pleased with Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her dedication to all facets of our protection — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of many prime defensive groups within the league and led to her finest season but as a professional,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve informed the AP.
Minnesota completed second within the WNBA standings and swept the Phoenix Mercury within the first spherical of the playoffs. The Lynx, winners of 4 WNBA titles, will probably be trying to win their fifth this postseason. In the event that they do, they’d transfer into first place for titles gained by an lively WNBA franchise, breaking a tie with the Seattle Storm.
Tipoff for Sport 1 of their semifinal collection in opposition to the third-seeded Solar is ready for 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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(Picture: Dylan Goodman / NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
