WNBA media officials are denying that they chose Angel Reese over Caitlin Clark as rookie of the year, even though it was a runaway vote

Caitlin Clark was voted WNBA Rookie of the Year by 66 of 67 voters. Many of the 66 who voted for her quickly declared their innocence when they voted against her.

When Clark was announced as the winner of the award on Thursday, it was announced that the one vote against her went to Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, Clark’s rival.

Several WNBA media members who voted for this year’s award claimed on social media that they did not vote for Reese but instead voted for Clark.

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The voter who chose Reese had not identified himself prior to the time of publication. This voter’s behavior in electing Reese has sparked controversy on social media. Several social media users have criticized the decision.

Clark would have become the fifth WNBA player in league history to win unanimous Rookie of the Year honors, joining teammate Aliyah Boston, who won it last season; league MVP A’ja Wilson in 2018; Elena Delle Donne in 2013; and Tina Charles in 2010. Statistically, Clark’s rookie year was superior to all of these rookie players this year.

IN THE IMPACT OF CAITLIN CLARK AND ANGEL REESE ON MEN’S BASKETBALL

Clark broke several league and franchise records in her first WNBA season, including the record for assists in a season, the rookie scoring record and the most points by a guard in a single season in WNBA history.

Reese was considered a dark contender for the honor behind Clark in the early months of the season. However, her rookie season was cut short after she underwent season-ending wrist surgery following an injury on September 6.

Clark increased her lead in nearly every statistical category in the weeks before and after the end of Reese’s season.

Before that, the Fever beat Sky three out of four times in direct duels this year. In two of those contests, Reese scored more points than Clark and grabbed more rebounds than Clark in all four meetings. Clark recorded more assists in all four matches.

Angel Reese of the LSU Lady Tigers, right, reacts to Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter of the 2023 NCAA Tournament Championship Game at American Airlines Center on April 2, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Clark led the Fever to the playoffs for the first time in eight years as the team’s leading scorer.

Reese was the third-leading scorer on a Chicago team that finished the season with a 13-27 record, third-worst in the league, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

The only statistic that Reese had an advantage over Clark was rebounds, with more than twice as many rebounds per game (13.1) compared to Clark’s 5.7. Reese has a natural height advantage at 6-foot-3 compared to Clark at 6-foot.

But Clark had a points advantage at 19.2 to Reese’s 13.6 per game, assists at 8.4 to Reese’s 1.9 and even blocks at 0.7 to Reese’s 0.5, despite the height disadvantage.

Like Clark, Reese also broke a WNBA single-season record in her rookie year, grabbing 418 rebounds during a game against the Minnesota Lynx on September 2nd. Unlike Clark, Reese did not hold this record at the end of the season. Following Reese’s season-ending surgery, MVP A’ja Wilson broke Reese’s record in the final week of the season when Wilson recorded her 419th rebound.

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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese runs down the field during the first half at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, August 25, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA Today Sports)

Despite the statistical discrepancies between Clark and Reese, the Sky rookie had her passionate supporters this year who made her case to Clark.

Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah, a 6-foot-3 center who specializes in rebounding and game dominance, told Fox News Digital he would vote for Reese about Clark Rookie of the Year if he had a say in an interview at NBA Night in the Emirates Suite at the US Open in early September.

“I would say Angel Reese.” Noah said. “When I watch her game, she reminds me a lot of myself.”

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