Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese: Who’s Dominating the WNBA Rookie Season in 2024?

As soon as the 2024 WNBA Draft Class got inducted into the league, there were hopes of the clash of the two bigwigs from the league, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. And it turned out the same way. Both of them outperformed the existing rookie records and set up new records on their journey to deliver some of the best rookie seasons in WNBA history. That’s why there was hype around the Rookie of the Year award last season. However, it was not a big thing for both of the athletes from Indiana Fever(Caitlin Clark) and Chicago Sky(Angel Reese).

Rather, they had all their focus on bringing their best for the respective team that they were playing for. Reportedly, Caitlin Clark said to the media, as per Sporting News, “I don’t wake up and think about individual awards.” Even Angel Reese could not agree more with her WNBA counterpart as she later also stated, “We don’t either care about the Rookie of the Year. I think you guys have made it a big thing.”

Although these athletes have no interest in talking about individual dominance. But the fans love to discuss such trivia, and what would be better than comparing the overall performance of basketball juggernauts in their rookie season? So, let’s move ahead with it.

Overview of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s WNBA Debut

Caitlin Clark’s Stair of Success to the WNBA

Caitlin Clark was born on January 22, 2002, to Brent and Anne Clark in Des Moines, Iowa. Caitlin Clark’s biography, apart from basketball, revolved around athleticism. However, it soon turned when she chose basketball as her final career option and started to pursue it seriously. Before high school, she started playing for All Iowa Attack, an AAU program. As soon as he turned her age for high school, she joined Dowling Catholic High School.

As expected, her game refined each year, eventually earning her stats like 33.4 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.7 steals per game during her senior year in high school. Also, she earned various accolades, like

• Des Moines Register All Iowa Athlete of the Year
• Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year
• Iowa Miss Basketball
• McDonald All-American Selection
• Jordan Brand Classic Selection

Eventually, after completing her high school season, she committed to the University of Iowa at the end of 2019 by November. Though initially she had wished to join Notre Dame, she chose Iowa as she wanted an immediate spot on the team after Kathleen Doyle departs from the collegiate team.

Caitlin Clark College Basketball Career

As a freshman, Caitlin Clark averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds and led the nation in assists (214), field goals made (266), final points (799), points per game (26.6), 3-pointers attempted (286), and 3-pointers made (116). She won the following accolades in her debut season:

• Dawn Staley Award winner
• Four-time USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week honoree
• Four-time NCAA Starting Five selection
• Selected to the Big Ten All-Tournament team

Also Read: Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year Best Moments

In her Sophomore year of college, Caitlin Clark managed to dish out 27 points, eight rebounds, and 8 assists per game. She was one of her kind in her sophomore season as she later joined Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles since 2000.

In her junior season, she 191 points and 60 assists in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. It was a record-breaking tournament for now Indiana Fever guard as she scored 41 points playing against the South Carolina Tar Heels. It is the most number of points by any player against an undefeated team in NCAA Tournament history — men’s or women’s. She also emerged as the first player in NCAA Tournament history to play back-to-back 40-point games. Such a feat occurred only once in the history of the men’s tournament by Austin Carr, that too in 1970.

In her senior season, the streak of excellence continued as Caitlin Clark was named consensus National Player of the Year for the second straight season. It was an upgrade season for the Iowa Hawkeyes guard as she averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 boards, leading NCAA Division I in terms of scoring and assists.

Angel Reese Basketball Career:

Angel Reese completed her basketball career at two separate universities, the University of Maryland and Louisiana State University.

Now the Chicago Sky forward spent the first two years of her collegiate career at the University of Maryland. Without any surprise, she was the best recruit of her program due to her innate scoring and rim protection abilities. While pursuing excellence in her initial college career, Reese earned accolades like All-American and all-conference player after her second season. Overall in two seasons at Maryland, she earned 13.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Here is the list of some awards that she earned at the University of Maryland:

• AP Third Team All-American (2022)
• USBWA All-America Honorable Mention (2022)
• Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist (2022)
• Wooden Award National Ballot (2022)
• All-Big Ten First Team (2022)
• All-Big Ten Defensive Team (2022)

Moving to Louisiana State University, Angel was already one of the top recruits on the national level. From there on, Angel Reese emerged as a leader who kept pushing until she took the LSU Tigers to their first National Championship. Surprisingly, while doing all of this, she was at the top of her game all the time, averaging many double-doubles in her pursuit. She helped Team USA to win the Silver medal at FIBA AmeriCup and recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds against Iowa in the NCAA tournament.

She also had a pioneering senior season at LSU as Angel Reese became the first player since Wendy Scholtens from Vanderbilt in 1989 and 1990 to lead the league in both stats over the following seasons. Also in the NCAA, she continued to produce double-doubles on the court, averaging 15.8 points and 15.3 rebounds in four NCAA Tournament games.

Also Read: WNBA Single-Game Assist Record in History

WNBA Stats Comparison: Clark vs Reese

Leading the collegiate world, both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered as top prospects in the league. On the WNBA’s All-Time list for scoring in a single season, Caitlin Clark stands in the seventh rank with a 19.2 points per game average. However, Angel Reese falls behind Caitlin in that sense as she is in the 28th spot on the All-time scoring leaders in a single season list, averaging 13.2 points per game.

Surprisingly, neither of the star rookies has any forte in scoring. Rather, both of them acquire different skills on the court. Caitlin Clark is an excellent playmaker and holds the record for most assists in a single season, amounting to 322 dimes. On the other hand, the Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is a defensive freak, leading the league last season with 446 boards, breaking all the previous milestones in rim protection.

Let’s take a look at the comparison between the stats of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in the 2024 WNBA season:

• Points Per Game: Caitlin Clark is the leader in terms of scoring the bucket in comparison to Angel Reese’s scoring skills in her rookie season.
• Rebounds Per Game: Angel Reese holds the defensive crown of the WNBA league. Her 6’2′ stature is a testament to her domination around the rim. Although there have been concerns about her accuracy under the rim. Yet she has managed to keep it high even after some mistakes and misses.
• Assists Per Game: Let’s accept the Chicago Sky forward is not a playmaker but she may be a decent scorer. On the other hand, Caitlin Clark specializes in court view and passing skills. Her assists around the paint are impeccable in terms of shot layups.
• Field Goal Percentage: Due to low scoring abilities, Angel Reese does not have a better field goal percentage as she holds the ball for less time, reducing her attempts for the bucket. On the other hand, Caitlin Clark is dominating when it comes to taking the ball in her hands.
• Three-Point Shooting Percentage: Caitlin Clark has been one of the best shooters in the basketball world from the start. Even in her college basketball career, her shooting shocked the audiences in clutch moments. Although it has reduced significantly in the league, but it might get better as she gets comfortable in the league.
• Free Throw Percentage: Free Throw ability is more dependent on the shooting ability of a basketball player. Angel Reese does not carry the shooting angle, so her perception of putting the ball into the bucket is not as advanced as Caitlin Clark’s.

Who Has the Edge? A Look at Their Future Potential

Angel Reese Future Projections:

The versatility and perseverance are the qualities of Angel Reese’s play. She is a rebounder and can score in the post, making her a double threat, and since she is agile despite her size, she adjusts perfectly to the various offensive and defensive schemes. Due to her broad base, Reese has every potential to develop her skill in offense, like widening her shooting range.

As Reese becomes accustomed to the speed and intensity of the WNBA, her competitiveness may push her performance higher. Her future as a foundational player for her team could set her up to be a big player in the WNBA for many years to come, showcasing her abilities as she matures in the position.

Caitlin Clark: Future Projections

Clark’s skills, already on display, show promise for one of the league’s greatest guards. She is gifted with shooting and has very good court awareness, hence the ability to create points not only for herself but for others as well. And by improving her defending game and making better-shot decisions, she could easily quickly move up the ranks to potentially make All-Star teams consecutively in a couple of years.

Her winning urge, along with the guidance of veteran teammates, promises a great future in the game. If Clark remains like this and continues to carry on, then surely she will be on the list of WNBA Legendary Players and further.

Conclusion:

In the end, it might be safe to assume that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s on-court basketball rivalry has given an edge to the WNBA fans. It not only increases their passion for the game but also encourages their daughters to aspire big in life. Coming to the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky rookies, both of them will fulfill their destinies in the upcoming years of the league with their immense potential.