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Last month, sports talk show host Dan Patrick called the debate for the WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese “silly.” According to him, no opponent will game plan for Reese and win if they execute that strategy. The veteran sportscaster doesn’t think there should be any argument about who should be the clear winner.
Clark’s showing since the WNBA resumed action only confirmed Patrick’s assertion. The Indiana Fever are 2-0 after the break because the rookie point guard has been impressive.
On Monday, here’s what Dan Patrick had to say in his podcast about this year's WNBA ROTY contest:
“I know we wanna make this the Rookie of the Year debate. Angel Reese is a wonderful player. She just had 20 rebounds, she’s a double-double guaranteed. But, anybody who tries to sell you on this is selling you on something to get clicks. That’s all this is." Patrick said.
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“This is a phenomenon. Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon. And if I said to any of these people who think Caitlin Clark is not the Rookie of the Year, I’d say, ‘Who do you wanna start your franchise with?,’" he added.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue to put on record-breaking performances since the WNBA resumed. The Indiana Fever guard passed Ticha Penicheiro for most assists in a single season (224) by a rookie. Clark handed out her 225th assist in the second quarter against the Seattle Storm and already had 232 with a dozen games left.
Meanwhile, Reese had a 19-point, 20-rebound night against the Phoenix Mercury. She fell a point short of becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to have 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game. The “Chi Barbie,” however, became the fastest to hit 20 double-doubles, needing 27 games to accomplish that. She averages 12.3 rebounds per contest, which is already the best-ever mark.
Despite those numbers, Dan Patrick isn’t buying the idea that it should be an argument, giving Clark the superiority over Reese.
ROTY race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese expected to be a wild finish
The ROTY battle between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will only heat up as the regular season finish line draws near. How both rookies carry their respective teams to the playoffs could determine the winner of the race. Clark has gained a slight edge in that category after back-to-back wins.
Meanwhile, the Sky looked out of rhythm in their last three games. They decisively lost twice to the Phoenix Mercury before eking out a 90-86 win over the LA Sparks on Saturday. Reese has been putting up impressive numbers but her ROTY bid will suffer if the Sky falters.
Two straight wins improved Indiana’s record to 13-15 while the 2-1 slate by Chicago dropped its mark to 11-16. The Atlanta Dream (9-17) is nipping at their heels and could chase one of them in the home stretch.
Dan Patrick has his sure ROTY winner but the debate off the court and the battle inside will continue growing more intense. With the regular season down to about a month, basketball fans expect a wild finish for who wins the award in the end.
Who do you think will win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
