With over thirty games in the books, the WNBA is quickly nearing its final stretch. Yet, the most thrilling topic remains the Rookie of the Year race, with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese consistently delivering standout performances. While plenty of media experts have already weighed in with their opinions, this time it’s a former college football star, Mike Golic Jr., who has jumped into the mix, adding his voice to the ROTY debate.
Recently, Mike Golic Jr. sat down with his father for a lively discussion about the impressive impact this year’s rookie duo has had on the WNBA. While they both acknowledged the brilliance of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, Golic Jr. shared his thoughts on why he believes one of them has better odds to claim the ROTY. “I think like you (his father) said at this point, with that winning factor in mind. What Caitlin Clark in this team has been since going into the All-Star break and certainly coming out of this in the W probably going to give her the edge. We also value offense in a way that we just don’t do a lot of other things. And Caitlin is produced really highly in that level in a way that Angel just does not,” stated Golic Jr.
"[Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese], for a long, long time, will be headlining a whole bunch of things for the WNBA." @golic
"It's been cool to watch them go in and accomplish at this level… Congratulations to both of them. Going in with such a massive bullseye on their backs and… pic.twitter.com/lBBOwpH3xL
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) September 2, 2024
It’s clear that while both rookies have been outstanding, Caitlin Clark’s impact on the Indiana Fever has been more pronounced than Angel Reese’s influence on the Chicago Sky. Since returning from the Olympic break, Clark has put up over 20 points in five of the last seven games, including an impressive 31-point performance against Reese’s Chicago Sky, which was a personal best for her so far. In that same matchup, Reese contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds, but her efforts weren’t enough to secure a win for Chicago.
Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever has been on a roll, losing just one game since last month. In contrast, Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky has struggled, managing only a single victory during that same stretch. And while we discovered former Notre Dame’s star logical explanation in the heated debate, let’s discuss what the rookie, Angel Reese, herself said about the ROTY race earlier.
Angel Reese on the ROTY race and her rookie season
“I mean, I was picked seven. I am not supposed to be in the Rookie of the Year conversation,” the Chicago Sky forward shared her thoughts just before breaking the record for most rebounds in a single season. With her 19 rebounds against the Minnesota Lynx, she now has a massive 418 rebounds in her rookie season, which is 14 more than the previous record of Sylvia Fowles.
Reese also expounded on her mentality as she said, “But, I am because of how hard I work and not just offensively being able to beat this event and being able to rebound. Rebounding is something that you have to want to do. It’s not something that’s easy. And I don’t have anything in my life that’s been easy for me. So, I really enjoy doing it.” Just days before, she became the first player in WNBA history to score 20-plus rebounds in three consecutive games.
