The outcome of the WNBA Rookie of the Year competition between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has definitely not pleased NFL icon Shannon Sharpe.
After a great season in 2024—during which she led all rookies in scoring (19.2) and led the league in assists (8.4)—Clark was named Rookie of the Year.
The All-Star guard not only broke multiple marks, including the rookie scoring mark (769) but also helped the Fever finish with a 20-20 record, good for the sixth spot in the WNBA playoffs.
Despite the fact that no other rookie came close to what she had done, Clark still failed to win the Rookie of the Year award unanimously. She got 66 of 67 votes, with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese getting one vote.
While Reese was equally great during her first year, averaging 13.6 points and a league-best 13.1 rebounds, she suffered an injury late in the season and missed their final six games. The Sky also didn’t make playoffs after tallying a 13-27 record.
That being said, Sharpe stated that in his opinion, Clark ought to have been selected as the clear winner for Rookie of the Year.
Sharpe said, “I’m not sure how you concluded that she wasn’t the unanimous ROTY.”
“She led the rookies in scoring, she led them in assists, she averaged like five, six rebounds a game. She set records for scoring, assists, three-pointers. … Let’s not get into it.”
For what it’s worth, it’s not only Shannon Sharpe who has an issue with the fact that Caitlin Clark didn’t win unanimous Rookie of the Year.
While ESPN reporter Andraya Carter urged the league to make the voting non-anonymous so that voters can stand by their choice and fans can understand why they made their picks, former WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike recently argued that the Fever guard should have been the only player to receive a vote for ROTY. The WNBA has not yet responded to all of the criticisms regarding the voting, though the Association might want to address it soon as the disapproval continues to mount.
