Caitlin Clark award vote scrutinized

Sadly, even the announcement that Caitlin Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year couldn’t exist without creating chaos.

Thursday, WNBA media members overwhelmingly voted the Indiana Fever star as Rookie of the Year. This came a few days after Clark was unanimously voted as the AP Rookie of the Year.

However, the WNBA vote wasn’t unanimous. While 66 media members voted for Clark, one voted for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game in her rookie season. Along the way, she broke several records and brought unprecedented TV exposure with her.

Reese also had a great season, averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while also breaking the single-season record for rebounds. She also suffered a season-ending injury and missed the Sky’s final six games.

Normally, a player receiving one vote in an award vote like this wouldn’t be a big deal. But if you’ve been following the WNBA this season, you know what kind of nonsense it’s already kicking off.

Almost immediately, fans (and people pretending to be fans) started calling for the Reese voter to be outed and/or lose their voting privilege. The fact that Clark’s award win wasn’t unanimous was seen in some circles as the latest in a long line of affronts to the popular Fever player. It also fed into several narratives, none of them good, surrounding the Clark vs. Reese dynamic and Clark vs. The Rest of the WNBA sentiment that has taken hold with certain groups .

Realizing the storm that was potentially heading their way, several WNBA media members who voted on the award made it clear that they voted for Clark and not Reese.

Terrika Foster-Brasby, who covers the Connecticut Sun, shared her ballot on X, saying “Just so we’re clear… it wasn’t me. I voted for CC. So don’t blow me up or call me a hater cause IT WASNT TERRIKA.”

Khristina Williams, who covers the New York Liberty, also shared her ballot.

Reporter Nick Hamilton also shared his ballot, which was for Caitlin Clark.

Media members involved in the vote are not required to make their ballots public, though there are plenty of calls for that to change. While there are certainly a handful of media members that some fans have targeted as the potential Reese voter, no one has claimed it as of yet. And they may never, given what probably awaits them on social media.

[ Meghan L. Hall ]

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