Since the WNBA was founded over 28 years ago, basketball fans finally had a platform to watch the top professional women compete against their peers. Over that period, the likes of Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, and countless other legends served as trailblazers and ambassadors for the sport. The WNBA has grown tremendously over the years—both in terms of popularity and respect. Again, there were always incredibly talented players, but the current level of interest, emotion, and general media attention are at an all-time high. So many individuals have paved the way, but it’s clear that the Caitlin Clark/Angel Reese dynamic has taken viewership to a whole new level. Either player would be a lock to win Rookie of the Year in most seasons, yet it’s become one of the most controversial, divisive topics in sports.
Each woman has put forth record-breaking statistical seasons and converted many folks into fans of the WNBA. Therefore, anyone citing how “Player X has done more for the sport” does not matter. More people tuning into games plays zero role in determining on-court value. However, there are plenty of resources to make an argument for either side. That being said, we will present the raw numbers and form cases for each player. Here are their respective averages through 33 games (asterisk denotes rookie record):
Clark- (35.4 MPG) 18.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 8.4 APG*, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 5.5 TPG with 42.4/34.1/89.7 shooting splits. Current record: 17-16. Previous record: 13-27.
Reese- (32.5 MPG) 13.3 PPG, 13.2 RPG*, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.1 TPG with 38.4/15.4/72.8 shooting splits. Current record: 11-22. Previous record: 18-22.
In looking at Clark, it’s easy to recognize her impact and leadership for the Fever. They’ve already won four more games than last season, and Clark has been squarely in the spotlight from start to finish. Though she’s already set the rookie record for assists, Clark can also be seen on the all-time rookie leaderboards for points (7), field goals (18), field goal attempts (16), turnovers (1), free-throw percentage (12), free-throw makes (18), three-point makes (1), and three-pointers attempts (1). There are already so many positives, but Clark has a massive usage rate (26.8; ninth-highest in WNBA) and some real issues taking care of the ball. She’s on pace to be one of the most prolific playmakers (and shooters) in league history, however, it’s difficult to ignore how she’s already shattered the record for most turnovers in a season—surpassing second place by 44 turnovers with eight games remaining.
Meanwhile, Reese has also broken several records of her own. Although her team isn’t having as much success, it’s not necessarily indicative of her play. Not only has she broken the rookie record for rebounds (both offensive and defensive), but she’s also set the new WNBA mark for total rebounds and offensive rebounds. Reese gets to the line at a strong rate, ranking in free-throw makes (20) and attempts (19) on the all-time rookie leaderboard. Like her rival above, there are a lot of positives and areas of improvement. Reese is already a historically elite rebounder, both in terms of percentages and per-game averages, with the ability to anchor the paint offensively. Her blend of size, strength, and nose for the ball make her a legitimate problem for opponents. Reese must become more efficient, especially for someone who took 346 of her 404 shots inside of 10 feet—where she shot a poor 40.1%. Expanding her offensive arsenal would make Reese one of the most dominant players in the WNBA.
It’s ironic how much discussion this subject has generated. Both were already named All-Stars and are seen as the future faces of the League. Not only are they so different as players, but they each have their respective flaws to address. Every game, interview, and interaction leads to more craze and hysteria from the masses. Regardless of who ultimately wins the award, it’s impossible to say anything other than positives about how they’ve helped grow the women’s game.