The WNBA's rookie class has brought a surge in viewership and interest, leading to record-setting attendance and ratings. Caitlin Clark's ascension from sharpshooter to cultural phenomenon has boosted appeal.
The league's four highest-rated games of the last 22 years came this season, notes Awful Announcing's Joe Lucia, and all featured Clark's Indiana Fever. One of those games was the Fever and Chicago Sky's June 1 matchup, in which a cheap shot to Clark sparked national outrage.
The Sky drafted Angel Reese - Clark's college rival - seventh overall in April after Clark went No. 1, and the Fever outlasted the Sky in their first meeting. The two teams met again Sunday, with the Fever (5-10) earning another win over the Sky (4-9). Clark, who nearly recorded a triple-double with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, outperformed Reese, further boosting her Rookie of the Year candidacy.
WNBA Rookie of the Year odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Caitlin Clark | -900 |
| Angel Reese | +750 |
| Cameron Brink | +1300 |
| Kamilla Cardoso | +4000 |
| Rickea Jackson | +5000 |
Clark left Iowa as the highest scorer in NCAA history. However, many WNBA vets warned her she'd encounter increased physicality and elevated competition. Clark had a rude awakening and struggled to live up to an unfairly high standard.
Through 15 games, Clark's averaging 16.1 points per game on 38% shooting from the field. She leads all rookies in points and shot attempts but ranks near the bottom in field-goal percentage. The most concerning stat has been turnovers, where Clark leads the league with 5.5 per game.
Clark has recently become more comfortable with the increased attention, however, drilling 40% of her threes in three of the last four games and scoring at least 23 points in two of the past four.
While the Fever have the third-worst odds to win the championship and Clark isn't considered a top player in the league just yet - she was controversially omitted from Team USA's Olympic roster - Clark's still the best rookie in her class, reflected by her incredibly short odds to capture the award.
Reese is second among rookies in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game. The LSU product hasn't been shy about her rivalry with Clark, pouring more gasoline on the fire sparked in the 2023 NCAA national championship game. Clark has bested Reese in their two encounters as pros.
Clark and Reese meet for a third time Saturday in Chicago. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and should be a ratings juggernaut. Even if Reese outplays Clark and the Sky win, there's not much Reese can do to close the gap in the Rookie of the Year race with more than a third of the season complete.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
