ESPN tabs Caitlin Clark as WNBA Rookie of the Year front-runner at midway point

Now that the 2024 WNBA season has passed the halfway point, fans and analysts can form some educated opinions on how the rest of the season will play out.

Though Caitlin Clark entered with sky-high expectations as the No. 1 overall pick to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark has done well to meet those projections and the criticism that comes with her every professional move.

ESPN just released its midseason 2024 WNBA awards tracker where Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel tabbed Clark as the front-runner to capture the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year honor.

Clark, the No. 1 draft pick, leads all rookies in scoring (16.0), assists (7.1), 3-pointers (2.7 per game) and minutes played (34.4). She ranks second in steals (1.3) and fourth in rebounding (5.7). Clark has two games of at least 15 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds, more than any past WNBA rookie. Turnovers are her biggest issue offensively; she leads the league with 5.6 per game. If she can help the Fever return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, it will make her Rookie of the Year case stronger. – ESPN .

If Clark can capture the Rookie of Year award, it mark back-to-back seasons where a Fever player won the honor. Aliyah Boston won Rookie of the Year honors last season after averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

Clark does have competition for the Rookie of the Year award. Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is having a record-setting rookie campaign as well and ESPN tabbed Reese as Clark’s top challenger for Rookie of the Year honors.

Reese already has had more consecutive double-doubles than anyone in WNBA history (11) and is a strong challenger to Clark. Reese, the No. 7 pick, is averaging 13.2 points and leads the league in rebounding (11.8).

The past four ROY winners — Indiana’s Aliyah Boston , the Atlanta Dream ‘s Rhyne Howard , Michaela Onyenwere (then with New York) and Crystal Dangerfield (then with Minnesota) — won by landslides. Boston was unanimous. This ROY race projects more like 2019, when it was also between a forward (Collier) and a guard (the Dallas Wings ‘ Arike Ogunbowale ). Collier won 29 votes to 14. – ESPN .

It will be fun to watch how this race develops as the season progresses.

The arrival of Clark has clearly lifted the Fever’s ceiling and it looks like Indiana is getting better all the time. Clark, Boston and Kelsey Mitchell were each named as 2024 WNBA All-Stars for Team WNBA.

That trio will be what Indiana attaches its future hopes to. Of course, the growth and development of Clark will go a long way in determining just how high the Fever can fly.

For now, Clark and the Fever are truly just focused on game-to-game improvement. So far, so good.

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