After the 2024 WNBA season has reached midway, fans and experts may now make informed predictions about how the remaining games will unfold.
As the Indiana Fever’s first-round selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark came into the game with enormous expectations. Despite this, Clark has performed admirably to live up to the hype and criticism that accompany her every professional action.
Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel selected Clark as the front-runner to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year title in ESPN’s most recent midseason 2024 WNBA awards tracker.
The No. 1 overall pick, Clark, leads all rookies in minutes played (34.4), 3-pointers made (2.7 per game), assists (7.1), and scoring (16.0). She is fourth in terms of rebounds (5.7) and second in terms of thefts (1.3). More than any previous WNBA rookie, Clark has recorded two games with at least 15 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Her offensive weakness is turnovers, as she leads the league with 5.6 per game. She will have a stronger case for Rookie of the Year if she can assist the Fever in making their first postseason appearance since 2016. ESPN.
It would be the first time that a Fever player has earned Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons if Clark is successful in winning it. Last season, Aliyah Boston averaged 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, earning her the title of Rookie of the Year.
There are other candidates than Clark for Rookie of the Year. ESPN identified Chicago Sky youngster Angel Reese as Clark’s main rival for youngster of the Year awards. Reese is also having a record-breaking rookie year.
Reese poses a serious threat to Clark and now has more double-doubles in a row than any player in WNBA history (11). The No. 7 pick, Reese, is leading the league in rebounding (11.8) and scoring 13.2 points on average.
The last four ROY champions, Aliyah Boston of Indiana, Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, Michaela Onyenwere (then with New York), and Crystal Dangerfield (then with Minnesota), all prevailed handily. Boston was in agreement. This competition for ROY looks more like it did in 2019, when Collier, a forward, and Arike Ogunbowale, a guard for the Dallas Wings, squared off. Collier prevailed 29 to 14. ESPN.
As the season goes on, it will be interesting to see how this race changes.
The Fever’s ceiling has obviously been raised by Clark’s entrance, and Indiana appears to be improving steadily. For Team WNBA, Clark, Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell were all selected as 2024 WNBA All-Stars.
Indiana will base its aspirations for the future on those three. Naturally, the extent to which the Fever can soar will be greatly influenced by Clark’s growth and development.
Clark and the Fever are genuinely only concerned with improving from game to game right now. Everything is going OK so far.
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