Caitlin Clark made her mark within the record books in the course of the 2024 WNBA season and was named the league's rookie of the yr, league sources said Friday.
Clark winning the award was no surprise considering how productive her debut season was.
Clark broke each the WNBA's single-season and single-game assist records. She scored probably the most rookie points ever and probably the most point guard points ever. She became the primary rookie to record two triple-doubles and the primary Fever player ever to record a triple-double.
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Caitlin Clark rates her rookie season as “solid” after being eliminated from the playoffs.
These are only a number of of their many accomplishments: Averaging 19.2 points and eight.4 assists per game – numbers that were even higher within the second half of the season – led the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016. Indiana also improved its win total at seven in 2024.
Clark, the No. 1 pick within the 2024 WNBA Draft, got here into the league as probably the most anticipated rookie in league history. She thrived for 4 seasons at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to 2 Final Fours and setting NCAA Division I women's basketball and major college women's basketball records.
The spectacle surrounding Clark followed her into the skilled ranks. While Clark stunned fans and tormented opponents, she also played an important role in a season of explosive growth for the WNBA. Six different league television partners set viewership records for the most-watched WNBA game this yr, and all six featured “Fever.”
Attendance in Indianapolis reached a record high: a median of 17,036 fans packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse for home games. For the primary time in WNBA history, Indiana led the league in attendance.
However, Friday's news doesn’t reflect the Clark Effect off the sector, but quite their successes between the 4 lines of the sector.
“She was special,” Indiana coach Christie Sides said before the playoffs. “She came to the best league in the world, the best women’s basketball league in the world. She has found her footing. She's getting better and better. She has put herself in a position to be considered one of the best players in the league. That’s unbelievable for a rookie.”
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In the primary half of the season it seemed as if the Rookie of the Year race could be one among the closest ever. Through the primary two months of the season, Angel Reese helped the Sky stay in playoff contention. She recorded 14 double-doubles in 20 games and broke Candace Parker's consecutive double-double streak.
Like Clark, Reese earned All-Star honors and was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June. She set the league's single-season total rebound record (446) and recorded the very best rebound per game average in WNBA history (13.1).
As the No. 7 draft pick, Reese would have grow to be only the third player to be named Rookie of the Year, following No. 6 within the WNBA draft. But her second half proved different than her first. Chicago was struggling and Reese was ultimately ruled out for the remaining of the season on September eighth with a wrist injury. The Sky missed the postseason.
During the season, Clark and Reese downplayed the importance of the race.
“I'm sure (Angel) would give you the exact same answer – I'm sure she gave you the exact same answer,” Clark said in late August. “So for us, anyone can write that, but our focus is on winning basketball games. It’s that simple.”
Reese said: “We don’t care about Rookie of the Year either. I think you guys made it a big deal. We don't have that. We both want to win. We always wanted to win, and we did that in our college careers.”
Clark became the third consecutive No. 1 pick to win the highest rookie award.
“I know there is still a lot of room for me to continue to improve,” Clark said after the Fever were knocked out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Sun. “I feel like I’ve had a solid year, but the nice thing about it for me is I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.”
Collier wins DPOY Award
From the beginning of the regular season to its conclusion, the Minnesota Lynx had probably the greatest defenses within the WNBA. And that defense now boasts the league's best defender after Napheesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, league sources said Friday.
The Lynx finished the yr first in opponent field goal percentage (41), first in opponent 3-point percentage (30.1), first in opponent assist rate (18.6) and just below Second in defensive rating (94.8). Collier's versatility was key to her success because the anchor of Minnesota's defense.
Collier was often tasked with guarding an opponent's best frontcourt players. At other moments, she pivoted to offer crucial assistance. It was particularly effective against top competition, because the Lynx went 7-4 against the opposite top-four playoff seeds, including Minnesota's Commissioner's Cup victory.
Collier ranked second within the WNBA in steals per game (1.9) and eighth in blocks (1.4 per game). According to Synergy Sports, opponents shot just 34.3 percent against them.
“I am so proud of Phee's defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense – deflections, rejections, steals, blocks, rebounds – has anchored one of the best defensive teams in the league and led to their best season ever as a professional,” Lynx -Trainer Cheryl Reeve said the AP.
Minnesota finished second within the WNBA standings and defeated the Phoenix Mercury in the primary round of the playoffs. The Lynx, winners of 4 WNBA titles, need to win their fifth this postseason. If they accomplish that, they might move into first place in titles won by an energetic WNBA franchise, breaking the tie with the Seattle Storm.
Game 1 of their semifinal series against the third-seeded Sun is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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