Chicago Sky (DR) / The View (DR) / Indiana Fever (DR)

A year after the start of a revolution led by the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA has reached yet another audience thanks to rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. But which of them will win the prestigious ROTY title? Shaquille O’Neal has decided. 

They were heralded as phenomena in women’s basketball, and they’ve been proving those analyses right since the start of the season.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese aren’t yet playing on teams that can contend for the WNBA title, and yet, as soon as they step on the court, millions of viewers tune in to watch.

They’re as loved as they are hated, the mark of the greats. 

And in very different styles, they are already breaking historical records in the league.

For example, the Chicago center has chained the greatest number of double-doubles all-time, thanks to her combativeness and a sense of perfect timing.

On the other side, the Fever point guard has just broken the record for assists in a game with 19 offerings distributed against Dallas. 

Shaquille O’Neal voices Angel Reese

So the question is, heading into the All-Star Game, in which both will be playing: Who will win the Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season?!

Reese and Clark have good arguments to make in this debate that is inflaming fans, and which also illustrates the new popularity of the WNBA.

Asked about it on ESPN , Shaquille O’Neal gave his opinion with a hint of bias. 

I heard Angel Reese say last time that she was born with that mentality, and it’s true.

She always speaks her mind, she plays without question. I love that about her.

The first time we met, she told me she thought she could beat me in a shooting contest. I’ve been a fan ever since.

A lot of people said she couldn’t play in the WNBA like she played at LSU, and she took that to heart.

I’m not saying this because we went to the same college, but I think she’s the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

I’m giving my vote to Angel. Caitlin Clark is an incredible player, she’s the female Stephen Curry.

But let’s not forget the alumni who made the league what it is today. Thanks to social media, these two girls are making the WNBA where it should have been years ago.

Shaquille O’Neal has known Angel Reese since his years at LSU, which makes sense when you consider that he also wore the Tigers’ colors in his youth.

So it’s no surprise to see him give his vote for Rookie of the Year to the Chicago player rather than the Fever phenomenon.

The suspense will be complete until the end, and that’s a good thing for the WNBA!

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are having two pretty exceptional seasons for rookies, which inevitably leads to an intense debate over the ROTY title. Shaquille O’Neal believes the LSU alum has the edge at the moment.