Caitlin Clark, who etched her name into the record books during the 2024 WNBA season, has been named the league's Rookie of the Year, league officials said. The Athletic on friday.
Clark winning this award wasn't all that surprising considering how prolific her debut season was.
Clark broke both the WNBA's single season record and single game assists record. She was the most scoring rookie of all time and the most scoring point guard of all time. She became the first rookie to record two triple-doubles and the first Fever player to record a triple-double.
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Those are just a few of her many accomplishments as she averaged 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game, and even surpassed those numbers in the second half of the season, leading the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016. Indiana also brings its win total to seven in 2024.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, enters the league as the most promising rookie in league history. She played four seasons at the University of Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to two Final Fours and setting NCAA Division I women's and major college women's basketball scoring records.
The sights around Clark led her to the professional ranks. Clark captivated fans and tormented opponents while contributing to the WNBA's explosive growth season. This year, six different league television partners set viewership records for the WNBA's most-watched games, and all six included the Fever.
Attendance in Indianapolis was at an all-time high, with an average of 17,036 fans packing into Gainbridge Fieldhouse for home games. Indiana leads the league in attendance for the first time in WNBA history.
But Friday's news doesn't reflect the Clark effect off the court, but rather her success among the four lines on the court.
“She was special,” Indiana University coach Christy Saiz said before the playoffs. “She joined the best league in the world, the best women's basketball league in the world. She found her footing. She just kept getting better and better. She's in a position to be called one of the best players in the league. That's it. That’s unbelievable for a rookie.”
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The race for Rookie of the Year in the first half of the season looked like it would be the most intense competition yet. For the first two months of the season, Angel Reese helped the Sky stay in playoff contention. She had 14 double-doubles in 20 games, breaking Candice Parker's record for consecutive double-doubles.
Reese, like Clark, earned All-Star honors and was named WNBA Rookie of the Month in June. She set the league's single-season total rebound record (446) and had the highest rebound average per game (13.1) in WNBA history.
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft, would have become the third player to win Rookie of the Year honors, following the No. 6 pick in the WNBA draft. However, her second half turned out to be different from the first half. Chicago struggled, and Reese was ultimately forced to miss the remainder of the season on September 8 with a wrist injury. The Sky missed the postseason.
Throughout the season, Clark and Rees downplayed the importance of the race.
“I'm sure[Angel]would give you the exact same answer. I'm sure she would give you the exact same answer,” Clark said in late August. “So for us, anyone can write it, but our focus is winning basketball games. It's that simple.”
Reese said: “We're not interested in Rookie of the Year either. I think you guys made it a big thing. No, we both want to win. I've always wanted to do that, and that's what I did during my college career.”
Clark became the No. 1 pick for the third year in a row and earned top rookie honors.
“I know I still have a lot of room to grow,” Clark said after the Fever's playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun. “I feel like it’s been a fulfilling year, but the fun part for me is that I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.”
Collier receives DPOY award
From the beginning to the end of the regular season, the Minnesota Lynx boasted one of the top defenses in the WNBA. And that defense now boasts the league's top defender after Nafeesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner, league officials said. The Athletic on friday.
This year, the Lynx ranked 1st in opponent field goal success rate (41), 1st in opponent 3-point success rate (30.1), 1st in opponent assist rate (18.6), and a close second in defensive rating (94.8). finished. Collier's versatility was the key to all of his success as the anchor of Minnesota's defense.
Often, Collier was tasked with guarding the opponent's top frontcourt players. In another moment, she spun around to provide critical help. She especially had a big impact against top-tier opponents, as the Lynx went 7-4 against other top-four playoff seeds, including a Commissioner's Cup victory over Minnesota.
Collier finished second in the WNBA in steals per game (1.9) and eighth in blocks (1.4 per game). According to Synergy Sports, the opposing team shot just 34.3% from the field.
“I am very proud of Fee's defensive work in 2024. Her dedication to all aspects of defense, including deflections, discrimination, steals, blocks, and rebounds, has led to us being one of the top defensive teams in the league. “and led to her best season yet,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told The Associated Press.
Minnesota finished second in the WNBA rankings and defeated the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the playoffs. The Lynx, who have won four WNBA titles, will be seeking their fifth championship this postseason. If they do so, they will break a tie with the Seattle Storm and move into first place for titles won by an active WNBA franchise.
Tipoff for Game 1 of the semifinal series against the third-seeded Sun is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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(Photo: Dylan Goodman/NBAE via Getty Images)
