Having etched her title throughout the file e book in the course of the 2024 WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has been named the league’s Rookie of the Yr, receiving 66 of 67 whole votes, the WNBA introduced Thursday. Chicago Sky ahead Angel Reese obtained one vote from the nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Clark and Reese had been additionally named to the 2024 All-Rookie Group on Thursday, together with Los Angeles Sparks ahead Rickea Jackson, Chicago Sky heart Kamilla Cardoso and New York Liberty ahead Leonie Fiebich.
Your 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Group 🙌
Caitlin Clark (IND)
Rickea Jackson (LAS)
Angel Reese (CHI)
Kamilla Cardoso (CHI)
Leonie Fiebich (NYL)#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/TgU5hoEztP— WNBA (@WNBA) October 3, 2024
That Clark gained the Rookie of the Yr 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 file two triple-doubles and the primary Fever participant ever to file 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 sport — numbers that had 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 whole by seven in 2024.
“I’m extremely honored to be named Rookie of the Yr, however greater than that, I’m grateful to everybody that supported me all through this previous season — my household and mates, my teammates, the Fever group and everybody that cheered us on all season,” Clark stated in a press release Thursday. “I’m so pleased with what we completed and so excited for what the longer term holds.”
Clark, the No. 1 choose 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 faculty ladies’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 progress for the WNBA. Six totally different league tv companions set viewership information this 12 months for its highest considered WNBA sport, and all six included the Fever.
Attendance in Indianapolis hit a file excessive, with a median 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.
Thursday’s information, nevertheless, shouldn’t be a mirrored image of the off-court Clark Impact, however her successes between the court docket’s 4 strains.
“She’s been particular,” Indiana coach Christie Sides stated forward of the playoffs. “She got here into the perfect league on this planet, the perfect ladies’s basketball league on this planet. She discovered her footing. She’s continued to get higher. She’s put herself in place to be known as top-of-the-line gamers within the league. That’s unbelievable for a rookie.”
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For the primary half of the season, the Rookie of the Yr race appeared as if it could be among the many tightest ever. By the primary two months of the season, 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 whole rebound file (446) and recorded the very best per-game rebound common in WNBA historical past (13.1).
The No. 7 draft choose, Reese would have change into solely the third participant taken after No. 6 within the WNBA Draft to win Rookie of the Yr. However her second half proved totally different than her first. Chicago slumped and Reese ultimately was dominated out for the remainder of the season on Sept. 8 with a wrist damage. The Sky missed the postseason.
Throughout the season Clark and Reese downplayed the significance of the race.
“I’m certain (Angel) would provide the similar actual reply—I’m certain 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.”
Stated Reese: “We don’t both care about Rookie of the Yr. I feel you guys have made it a giant factor. We haven’t. We each wish to win. We’ve been eager to win, and that’s what we’ve carried out in our collegiate profession.”
Clark grew to become the third consecutive No. 1 choose to win prime rookie honors.
“I do know there’s a variety of room for me to proceed to enhance,” Clark stated after the Fever had been knocked out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Solar. “I really feel like I had a strong 12 months, however for me, the enjoyable half is I really feel like I’m simply scratching the floor.”
Evaluating the All-Rookie Group
Regardless of Los Angeles failing to make the postseason, Jackson was productive all year long. She was environment friendly, averaging 13.4 factors, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per sport whereas capturing 45.6 p.c from the sphere and practically 35 p.c from 3-point vary. She additionally grew to become the primary WNBA rookie, and sixth WNBA participant ever, with a sport of at the very least 25 factors, three three-pointers and three blocks.
Cardoso, the No. 3 choose in April’s draft, missed the beginning of the season resulting from damage. However upon her return in early June, she additionally made an immediate impression. Cardoso led all rookies in area purpose proportion (52.1 p.c) and averaged 9.8 factors, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per sport. On June 23 in opposition to Indiana, Cardoso and Reese grew to become the primary rookie duo in league historical past since 1998 to file double-doubles over a number of video games in the identical season. They later additionally grew to become the primary rookie teammates since 2010 to file greater than 10 rebounds in the identical sport.
Fiebich elected to affix the Liberty this season, having most not too long ago been the MVP of the skilled league in Spain. The 24-year-old German averaged 6.7 factors, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per sport whereas capturing 47.8 p.c from the sphere and 43.3 p.c from deep. Throughout the common season, she recorded the second-highest plus-minus by a rookie in WNBA historical past. She has continued to make a key impression this playoffs, the place, now within the beginning lineup full-time, she has led the Liberty in plus-minus in three of their first 4 postseason video games.
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 gained the 2024 WNBA Defensive Participant of the Yr Award, the league introduced Sunday.
Collier obtained 36 of the 67 votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson completed in second (26 votes).
The Lynx completed the 12 months first in opponent area purpose proportion (41), first in opponent 3-point proportion (30.1), first in opponent help fee (18.6), and a detailed second in defensive score (94.8). Collier’s versatility was key to all their success as an anchor of Minnesota’s protection.
Usually 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 sport (1.9) and eighth in blocks (1.4 per sport). In line 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 elements 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 instructed 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, shall be seeking to win their fifth this postseason. In the event that they do, they might transfer into first place for titles gained by an energetic WNBA franchise, breaking a tie with the Seattle Storm.
Tipoff for Recreation 3 of their semifinal sequence in opposition to the third-seeded Solar is about for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday. The sequence is tied 1-1.
2024 WNBA All-Defensive Groups
The WNBA additionally introduced the primary and second All-Defensive Groups on Sunday.
First Group:
Second Group:
Required studying
(Picture: Dylan Goodman / NBAE by way of Getty Photographs)
