Lisa Leslie buys into Caitlin Clark's 'separation' from competition after criticism-inducing co-ROY suggestion 

Earlier this week, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie chimed in on the Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese Rookie of the Year debate. After receiving some criticism for her initial comments, the Hall of Famer ended up picking a side.

Following another dominant outing from the Indiana Fever guard, Leslie took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 4 to praise her. Citing her individual and team success, she admitted that Clark has separated herself in the ROY race.

"Caitlin Clark congratulations again and again! You continue to elevate your game and your team!! The triple double and playoff bound! The separation is clear🏆 Good luck Indiana Fever," she tweeted.

This post comes on the heels of Leslie stating that Caitlin Clark and Reese are both worthy of taking home the award.

Following this take, fans quickly flooded the comment section with their thoughts. They came to the defense of Clark, claiming that she should be the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

Reactions to Lisa Leslie's ROY take

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Leslie was one of the league's first superstars, making her mark during the inaugural WNBA season in 1997. She went on to spend 13 years with the LA Sparks.

In over 360 career games, Leslie averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. She earned MVP honors three times and led the Sparks to two championships.

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Caitlin Clark puts together another historic performance

After an up-and-down start to her career, Caitlin Clark has cemented herself as a future star in the WNBA. On Wednesday night, the Indiana Fever faced off against the LA Sparks, winning by a final score of 93-86.

A major catalyst in the Fever's victory over LA was the play of Caitlin Clark. She filled the entire stat sheet, finishing the game with a triple-double. In 40 minutes of action, the No. 1 pick posted a stat line of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Prior to this season, no rookie has ever notched a triple-double in the WNBA. Now, Clark has pulled off the feat twice.

Since returning from the month-long break for the Olympics, Clark and the Fever have been one of the WNBA's top teams. They are 7-1 over their last eight games and continue to climb in the standings. With a handful of games to go in the year, Indiana is sixth in the standings with an 18-16 record.