It seems to have been a foregone conclusion ever since the market opened that Caitlin Clark would win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Now, nearing the halfway mark of the season, Clark is still a massive favorite to win the award, sitting in the -1000 range on some books (note: it’s dropped to -550 a day after starting this article).
But should she be this big of a favorite, and is there value on any other rookies, such as Chicago’s Angel Reese?
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WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds: Is Caitlin Clark a Lock?
Not surprisingly, Caitlin Clark has been THE story of this WNBA season. Whether it was talk of her early struggles, rough play from opponents, supposed special treatment, or even race debates, it has all centered around the Indiana Fever rookie guard.
With all this attention and headlines, it’s no surprise that Clark is such a favorite to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award this season, especially considering sportswriters are the ones who vote for this award. But do we really want to lay -550 (the best odds I could find) on Clark to win?
Probably not. But I do think there is value in Clark’s collegiate—and now professional—rival, Angel Reese. In Clark’s large shadow, Reese is arguably having a better first campaign in the WNBA and is starting to garner more attention due to her play (and due to her clashes with Clark). And the odds of her winning Rookie of the Year are moving accordingly.
Reese is having a historical rookie season for the Chicago Sky, literally. As of this writing, she is on a WNBA record nine-game double-double streak (she’s tied with Candace Parker for the longest streak ever and is the youngest to ever accomplish it).
9 CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR ANGEL REESE 🗣️
Youngest player in WNBA History to do it. pic.twitter.com/LwAz6djCxT
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 28, 2024
For the season, her 11.1 boards per game are the second-highest total for a rookie in league history, only 0.6 rpg behind Tina Charles.
The Chicago rookie is also scoring, averaging 13.5 ppg, second among rookies to Clark’s 16.2. She also leads rookies in steals (1.6 per game) as well as advanced metrics like Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares.
Will all this be enough to earn her Rookie of the Year? It’s still a long shot, but one that’s getting shorter by the day. Clark is still having a historic season herself, leading rookies in points and assists and carrying an almost unprecedented load for a rookie for the Fever this season.
The fact that Indiana has pulled their noses up after their early season struggles will help her cause as well. As will the constant media attention she receives and her flashier style of play in comparison to Reese’s.
But Reese is a live dog in this race, at the very least. Look no further than her current +350 odds to win the award after opening the season at +4000. If she continues to make history – and continues to have public clashes with Clark on and off the court – I’d rather put my money on Angel Reese than on bloated Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year odds.
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