Angel Reese registered her first win in professional basketball over Caitlin Clark by dropping her career-best figures of 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Chicago Sky overcome a 15-point halftime deficit against Indiana Fever. As she extended her double-double streak to eight games, Paul Pierce demanded the 6'3" forward to be included among the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year award.
"You gotta put Angel Reese in the Rookie of the Year race. It just seems like Angel plays with an extra intensity when she plays against Caitlin," Pierce said. "Think about this tickets were $350 for this game. I love what I'm seeing from this… The ROY race is closer than everybody is talking because check this out - we watch a game where two teams that might not even make the playoffs are under .500, but this was mostly the most watched game."
Reese deserves a spot in the ROY race
This game was a testament to Angel's leadership on the court, extending beyond her record-setting achievement of being the first rookie to log a double-double in eight consecutive games and 66.7% shooting from the field. At the age of 22, 'Bayou Barbie' scored Chicago's 15 of their last 31 points in the final 11:30 minutes, showing poise until the very end. On the other hand, Clark attempted just three shots in the final seven minutes of the game, failing to score any points.
Moreover, apart from the Sky ending Fever's four-game winning streak, Pierce correctly mentions that Angel plays with an extra notch of intensity against Clark's Indiana. In the three games during the 2024 season, Reese has averaged 13.2 points and 11.1 rebounds, as compared to Clark's averages of 16.3 points, 6.6 apg, and 5.0 turnovers per game.
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WNBA analyst had Angel topping Caitlin in the ROY race
Even though Clark's Fever might have dropped out of playoff berths after their loss to the Sky, she still leads Reese in points, minutes played, and assists. However, Monica McNutt acknowledged that the Rookie of the Year award is still up for grabs, pointing out that Angel's consistency and dominant two-way play are giving her an edge over Caitlin right now.
"I think today, looking at the standings, you probably lean Angel just a little bit, but Caitlin's numbers are fantastic, " McNutt said. "I just think this thing is going to be a lot tighter than most folks thought it might've been."
While half of the 2024 WNBA season is still to go, it's clear that the ROY race will be a close affair between Caitlin and Angel. It could even come down to the final game day to decide the winner, especially when their respective teams are currently fighting for the last postseason berth.
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