Having etched her title throughout the file ebook throughout the 2024 WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has been named the league’s Rookie of the Yr, league sources instructed 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 data. She scored essentially the most factors by a rookie ever, and essentially the most factors by a degree guard ever. She turned 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 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 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 Last Fours and setting the ladies’s NCAA Division I and main school ladies’s basketball scoring data.
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 totally different league tv companions set viewership data 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 residence video games. Indiana led the league in attendance for the primary time in WNBA historical past.
Friday’s information, nonetheless, will not 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 very best league on this planet, the very best 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 referred to as the most effective 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 might be among the many tightest ever. By 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 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.
In the course of the season Clark and Reese downplayed the significance of the race.
“I’m positive (Angel) would provide the identical precise reply—I’m positive she has given you a similar precise reply,” Clark stated in late August. “So for us, everyone can write that, however our focus is on profitable basketball video games. It’s so simple as that.”
Mentioned 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 need to win. We’ve been desirous to win, and that’s what we’ve performed in our collegiate profession.”
Clark turned the third consecutive No. 1 choose to win high 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 strong 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 high defenses. And that protection now boasts the league’s high defender after Napheesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Participant of the Yr award winner, league sources instructed The Athletic on Friday.
The Lynx completed the 12 months first in opponent subject aim share (41), first in opponent 3-point share (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 Minnesota’s protection.
Usually Collier was tasked with guarding an opponent’s high frontcourt gamers. At different moments, she rotated over to supply essential assist. She was particularly impactful towards high competitors because the Lynx went 7-4 towards 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 keeping with Synergy Sports activities, opponents shot solely 34.3 % towards her.
“I’m so pleased with Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her dedication to all features of our protection — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of many high defensive groups within the league and led to her greatest 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 lively WNBA franchise, breaking a tie with the Seattle Storm.
Tipoff for Recreation 1 of their semifinal collection towards the third-seeded Solar is about for 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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(Photograph: Dylan Goodman / NBAE through Getty Photos)
