ESPN analyst thinks Angel Reese deserves WNBA Rookie of the Year over Caitlin Clark

Tyler Nettuno

The rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark which started in college has continued in the WNBA, and the pair of top 10 picks are arguably the two biggest rookie standouts in the league this year.

Clark is currently the favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year Award, but Reese is making a strong case as she has currently tied the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 12 and could break it on Sunday with her 13th.

Those odds are closing, and ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck made the case for Reese to win Rookie of the Year over Clark, pointing at her efficiency stats — namely, her plus/minus.

“It is a thin, thin line,” Peck said. “It’s really tight, but when you look at where the teams are. And I also went a little deeper and I looked at plus/minus and I also look at NET rating. When you look at that, Angel Reese has to get the nod.

“Now, I know it’s not a popular position to take because Angel Reese has to do the dirty work. I have said. It’s not sexy to have to battle and rebound inside where you have to do the blue-collar work. But this is a player that has come in as a rookie and is putting up grown woman numbers. 12 double-doubles in a row in one season, so, when you see a young woman come in like that and do that, I would have to give the nod with her efficiency rating and also plus/minus.”

Reese is averaging a double-double on the year and is on pace to set the WNBA record for the most in a season. Whether she can edge Clark for the postseason award remains to be seen, but all signs point to her being a star in the league for a long time.