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Athlon Sports
Robert Griffin III Didn’t Hesitate When Settling the Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Debate
By Angelo Guinhawa,
3 hours ago
Former NFL star Robert Griffin III is convinced the WNBA Rookie of the Year battle between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is over. For him, there's already a clear winner following the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky's meeting on Friday, August 30.
The Fever blew out the Sky, 100-81, in the showdown, with Clark tallying 31 points, four rebounds and 12 assists to lead the way for the visitors. Reese had another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, but she was clearly outshined by her fellow rookie— even with the history she made .
After watching the Fever-Sky showdown, Griffin III didn't hesitate to say that Clark deserves the Rookie of the Year award. The one-time NFL Pro Bowler went on to break down why he believes the Indiana rookie has separated herself from her closest challenger in the Sky forward.
The former NFL quarterback-turned-sports analyst dropped the numbers that largely favor Clark, including how she leads the league in assists (8.3). Meanwhile, even though Reese leads the WNBA in rebounds (12.9), Griffin emphasized that "we have never valued rebounding over scoring and assists."
"Otherwise Domatas Sabonis would have won the MVP of the NBA last year since he set the NBA record for double doubles in a season," Griffin III said.
"No. Nikola Jokic won the award and he was ranked 10th in ppg averaging a double double instead of Sabonis who was ranked 45th in ppg averaging a double double. Angel Reese is a special player, but Caitlin Clark has earned the award."
Robert Griffin III during the NFL Pro Bowl Skills competition at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Facility.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Griffin III also noted how Caitlin Clark has transformed the Fever into a "dangerous team." Including the victory over the Sky, Indiana has now won five of its six games since returning from the Olympic break.
The incredible run has moved them to sixth in the WNBA standings with a 16-16 record, four and half games clear of the eighth seed with eight games left to play. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
"The Indiana Fever are a dangerous team heading into the playoffs and Caitlin Clark has earned your respect. Stop denying the truth," Griffin III concluded.
Clark was already the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year prior to her showdown with Angel Reese and the Fever. However, there's no denying that there were still some people— like Stephen A. Smith —who saw it as a close race
As Griffin III said, however, Clark made it crystal clear with Friday's performance that she is the best rookie in the class of 2024.
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