ESPN First Take debates WNBA Rookie of the Year battle between Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky faced off against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever for the third time this season on Sunday. The Sky earned their first win of the year over the Fever thanks in large part to an impressive performance by Reese.

The former LSU star led the way during a second-half comeback, finishing with 25 points and 16 rebounds in the 88-87 victory. She recorded her eighth consecutive double-double in the win.

Following the strong showing on Sunday, ESPN First Take spent Monday morning discussing who is leading the battle between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark for WNBA Rookie of the Year.

“Angel Reese was sensational yesterday. Her desire not to lose was greater than the Fever’s desire to win. Sometimes a team can want it more than the other team. Angel Reese says, ‘We’re not losing today. I know you have two victories over me Caitlin Clark, but not today.’ … She would not be denied,” Shannon Sharpe said. “She dominated the boards – 16 rebounds, 25 points. She was sensational in the fourth quarter. They dominated in the paint.”

Sharpe is a big fan of Caitlin Clark, too. The former Iowa star is averaging 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists on the season. However, overall he gives Reese the slight edge.

“We can’t deny Caitlin Clark. … She had 17 points, 13 assists. She’s doing a great job of distributing the basketball,” Sharpe said. “Right now, based on just a small, small sample size, for me it’s a toss up. But that’s not what we do here. You’ve gotta pick one or the other. So with that being said, I think I’m going to take Angel Reese right now, because of those double-doubles.”

Reese has been incredibly consistent as of late, recording a double-double in eight straight games. She holds the record for most consecutive double-doubles by a rookie, and she became only the fourth rookie to ever score 25 points and grab 15 rebounds in a game on Sunday, joining A’ja Wilson, Tina Charles and Candace Parker.

“When you do something that a historically great WNBA player like a Candace Parker does, or you do something like MVP A’ja Wilson or MVP Tina Charles, now we’re talking,” Sharpe said. “Eight consecutive double-doubles? Yea, right now I’m going to give the slight nod to Angel Reese.”

Fellow ESPN analyst Monica McNutt agrees with Sharpe. She also currently has Angel Reese slightly ahead of Caitlin Clark in the WNBA Rookie of the Year battle.

“This race is not a foregone conclusion. I think coming into the season, Caitlin Clark had the best odds per Vegas to win the award. My whole thing coming into this was which one of these rookies, or any rookie, is going to have the greatest impact on winning,” McNutt said. “Yesterday my answer was Caitlin, because at the time Indiana held that 8 seed. After yesterday afternoon’s contest, it flips. You would have the Sky in the playoffs, which means Angel Reese, in theory, would have impacted winning in a bigger way.

“Looking at the standings, you probably tend to lean Angel just a little bit, but Caitlin’s numbers are fantastic, and I just think this thing is going to be a lot tighter than most folks thought it would’ve been.”

Finally, Stephen A. Smith offered his opinion on ESPN First Take. Smith didn’t give a definitive answer as far as who he believes is in the lead. However, he did give Reese a ton of credit for making this a true race.

“Caitlin Clark is on the verge of becoming the first WNBA rookie ever to average 15, 5 and 5. So certainly she deserves to be in the running,” Smith said. “But like Shannon said, Angel Reese with eight straight double-doubles, she was absolutely sensational yesterday. She was big-time. Make no mistake about it, she showed up and showed out. … I just can’t say enough about her.

“It’s a neck and neck race. It’s not a foregone conclusion. The fact that Angel Reese is in the mix is a beautiful, beautiful thing, with all the notoriety that’s thrown in the direction of Caitlin Clark.”