Fans chastise Lisa Leslie over joint ROTY proposal for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: "Don't give both MJ AND Rodman the same award"

While most chose sides, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie opted for both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese deserving of the Rookie of the Year award this season. Leslie took to X, formerly Twitter, to share her opinion as she lauded both rookies for their achievements.

"I don’t care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year Award! The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations! Take a bow ladies 👏🏼👏🏼" Lisa Leslie tweeted on Sunday.

However, the majority of WNBA fans didn't agree with Lisa Leslie's opinion and took to X to share their reactions. Some highlighted the difference between the two rookie's contributions, as most sided with Clark for the honor.

"You don't give both Michael Jordan AND Dennis Rodman the same award. One is the GOAT and the other is a really fantastic rebounder, defender and role player!" a fan tweeted.

"Cmon now Caitlin Clark has earned that award and it should not be shared. We gotta stop doing this. If she was black this shit would not be happening," a fan tweeted.

"It’s not a consolation award. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are miles apart. There’s no comparison so please be serious," a fan tweeted.

Fans continue to take issue with her take on a joint proposal, with most siding with the award in favor of the Indiana Fever rookie.

"With all respect, absolutely not. This isn’t Rec Ball. The difference between them is huge. What an embarrassment that would be," a fan tweeted.

"100% guarantee that if you swapped the stats on the players, literally no one would claim Caitlin Clark as co-ROTY. Say the quiet part out loud," a fan tweeted.

"Is this a parody? Caitlin Clark is the rookie of the year and a contender for MVP. Period," a fan tweeted.

Both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have broken several records in their rookie seasons. They have been key to the meteoric rise in popularity of the WNBA and would have likely both won the award had they debuted in different seasons.

Angel Reese earns new nickname from Lisa Leslie

During the Chicago Sky's game against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Angel Reese secured yet another historic individual record. The talented rookie broke WNBA veteran Sylvia Fowles' season record of 404 rebounds in 2018 and set a new mark of 418 after the game.

Former LA Sparks star Lisa Leslie congratulated Angel Reese for the WNBA record and had a new nickname for her, which is a combination of her feat and an earlier nickname.

"Congratulations Rebounding Barbie 💕💕💕💕 I couldn’t be more proud of you @Reese10Angel ❤️ U 🏀" Lisa Leslie tweeted on X following the game.

Angel Reese recorded her season's 24th double-double on Sunday with 17 points, 19 rebounds, three assists and two steals. She is also leading the WNBA in the season's rebound category, averaging 13.1 rebounds per game. Despite her performance, the Chicago Sky fell 79-74 against the Minnesota Lynx.

While Reese continues to break individual records in her rookie season, the Sky are dealing with a six-game losing streak, clinging onto the eighth and last playoff spot in the WNBA standings.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Sky will need to turn around and clinch wins to ensure their spot in the playoffs.