ESPN's Carolyn Peck gives WNBA Rookie of the Year nod to Angel Reese over Caitlin Clark

The race is on for Rookie of the Year in the WNBA, with Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky seeming to be the top choices for it.

Now, ESPN’s Carolyn Peck has shared the reason why she’s giving the nod to Reese over Clark if the season ended now.

“It is a thin, thin line. It’s really tight, but when you look at where the teams are,” Peck said. “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.”

The race is tight between the two young stars. For now, though, BetOnline has Caitlin Clark as the favorite to win the award at -700. Meanwhile, Reese is sitting at +400.

“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,” Peck said. “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 … 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.”

Caitlin Clark was the first overall draft pick ahead of the 2024 WNBA season and has garnered tons of attention for both herself and the league. Meanwhile, Angel Reese was just a few picks later at seventh overall. This came after the two went head-to-head in a pair of massive postseason games to end their college careers, including a national championship that Reese and her LSU Tigers won.

Already as rookies, the two appear to have their rivalry budding for the long term in the WNBA as they are both working to help get their respective teams to the playoffs. They’re also both already All-Star selections.

This season, Angel Reese is averaging 13.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game as an interior player. For her part, Clark is averaging 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. That’s as a guard, making it difficult at times to compare them against one another as the two play different positions.

Regardless, the season isn’t over just yet. The season is going to continue into September. So, there’s plenty of time for either Clark or Reese to improve on their case for the Rookie of the Year Award.