Much of the unprecedented popularity the WNBA is experiencing right now is due to the exhilarating rookies that entered the league this year, most notably Indiana's Caitlin Clark and Chicago's Angel Reese . The pair's rivalry made for excellent television in college, and it's only reached a wider audience in the WNBA.
Although Reese was drafted seventh overall, it should come as no surprise that heading into the All-Star break (and Olympic break this year), both Reese and Clark are the favorites to win Rookie of the Year. Early on, it was a back-and-forth battle between the two for the top of the odds boards. However, as the season has progressed, one of them has jumped out to a sizable lead for the award.
Here are the top-five contenders for WNBA Rookie of the Year, based on odds. All odds via BetMGM .
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2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Rankings:
T-3) Aaliyah Edwards, Washington (+25000)
Former UConn standout Aaliyah Edwards has been nothing short of great in her first WNBA season. Edwards' 49% field goal percentage is outstanding, and would rank second in the WNBA...if she had more opportunities.
See, as great as Edwards is, she is not getting the opportunity to put up massive numbers like Clark or Reese. Edwards has only started 10 games all season and only takes 6.8 shots per game, resulting in 8.7 points per game. While she is shooting efficiently, she is not shooting enough to warrant serious consideration for Rookie of the Year.
T-3) Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago (+25000)
Reese's teammate, Cardoso, has not played in about a third of games this season, which has greatly hindered her chances of winning Rookie of the Year. Even when Cardoso has played, though, she has not put up the monster numbers expected of a third-overall pick.
Cardoso's last five games have seen her tally 6, 6, 8, 10, and 6 points respectively. Cardoso may be dominating the glass (7.8 rebounds per game this year), but she'd need a few more points per game to climb the Rookie of the Year leaderboard.
T-3) Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles (+25000)
Rickea Jackson has stepped into a sizable role for the Sparks, having started 19 of 24 games for the team thus far. She's only getting better as the season goes on as well. Over her last five games, Jackson is averaging 16.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game. Each of those are better than her averages for the season.
It's a shame the break is happening when it is. Jackson will look to resume her incredible pace once the season picks up again.
2) Angel Reese, Chicago (+800)
Angel Reese has been a dominant force early in her WNBA career, even setting the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles (15). Although that streak was snapped on July 13 against the New York Liberty, it doesn't take away from what Reese has been able to accomplish. She's a great rebounder, and while her shooting efficiency could use some work, it hasn't stopped her from putting up 13.5 points per game and earning an All-Star bid.
1) Caitlin Clark, Indiana (-2000)
Fresh off setting an All-Star Game record for assists, Clark is the runaway favorite for the Rookie of the Year Award. Clark leads all rookies in points per game (17.1), assists per game (8.2), and steals per game (1.5). Clark has been so good that her absence on Team USA for the Olympics caused a bit of an uproar despite Clark failing to attend Team USA training camp while she competed for a college national championship.
Although Clark is on pace for a new WNBA record for turnovers in a season by a wide, wide margin, her scoring, playmaking, and solid defense make her a heavy, heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year heading into the Olympics.
When will the WNBA season resume?
The WNBA season will resume on August 15, four days after the Olympics' closing ceremonies. Three games are on slate that day: Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky (8 p.m. ET start time), Washington Mystics at Minnesota Lynx (8 p.m. ET start time), and New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks (9 p.m. ET start time).
The remaining six teams will all play on August 16.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings: Does Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese have better odds?
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