Juju Watkins on WNBA Rookie of the Year race: 'As of right now, I got Angel'

Two of the WNBA’s biggest stars are at the center of the Rookie of the Year race. No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark and No. 7 pick Angel Reese appear to be the frontrunners to win the award as their budding rivalry continued into the professional level.

Both players have made history as they start their WNBA careers with the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, respectively. Clark became the first rookie to ever record a triple-double last week while Reese is in the midst of a historic stretch of 14 straight double-doubles to set a new league record.

That’s why both make an interesting case for Rookie of the Year this season. Thursday, one of women’s basketball’s stars of the future has weighed in on the race. USC guard Juju Watkins made her pick while speaking with GQ Sports at the Gatorade Player of the Year awards.

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“As of right now, I got Angel,” Watkins said. “I got Angel. She’s been killing it.”

Reese recorded her 14th consecutive double-double on Wednesday, extending her record streak. She previously set the single-season mark held by Candace Parker and broke her record of 12 consecutive double-doubles last week to add to her historic rookie season. All told, Reese is averaging 14 points and 11.9 rebounds this season heading into Thursday’s game against the New York Liberty.

As for Clark, she put together the biggest game of her young career last week against the Liberty. With 19 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists, she became the first rookie in the history of the WNBA to record a triple-double as she engineered a comeback victory for the Indiana Fever.

Caitlin Clark also became the leading vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star Game this year. In fact, she and Angel Reese became the first rookie duo to make the game since 2014 – marking the first time they’ll play on the same team. But the Rookie of the Year conversation continues, and Juju Watkins isn’t the only person picking Reese to win the award right now.

“Now, I know it’s not a popular position to take because Angel Reese has to do the dirty work,” ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck said last week. “I have said, it’s not sexy to have to battle and rebound inside where you have to do the blue-collar work. But this is a player that has come in as a rookie and is putting up grown woman numbers. Twelve 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.”