As the 2024 WNBA season comes to an end, only two players received votes for Rookie of the Year. These two players were Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, who are familiar with competing against each other. On October 4, 2024, Caitlin Clark was announced as the WNBA Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season. Clark finished the season with the league’s single-season scoring record, and averaged 19.2 points per game. While the WNBA finals have begun, Clark is not part of the action. Despite almost unanimously winning the prestigious award, the team Clark plays for –Indiana Fever– was eliminated in the first round of playoffs. A panel of 67 national sportswriters and broadcasters voted for the Rookie of The Year award. 66 members of that panel voted for Clark, while one voted for Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.
Competition between Clark and Reese is not unfamiliar. Since their college years, they have faced off both on the court and in the media. The rivalry first drew the nation’s attention in the 2023 March Madness tournament when the stars faced off in the championship.
Clark attended the University of Iowa, while Reese attended Louisiana State University. When these two teams came head to head, their growing rivalry brought a surge of viewers to women’s college basketball. LSU won the championship game 102-85, but what caught the nation’s attention was the “trash talk” between the two players. At the end of the game, Reese waved her hand in front of Clark while pointing to her ring finger– many speculating that this gesture was personal towards Clark. When the two players met again in the Elite Eight of the 2024 tournament, Iowa pulled out the win after a hard-fought battle.
Despite playing together in the WNBA All-Star game and having a friendly relationship off the court, the media still loves to pit the two talents against each other– most recently in the ROTY conversation. People have been calling out the voter who voted Reese for the award and “snubbing” Clark of a unanimous vote. While Clark is recognized as a once in a generation player, Reese has also had an exceptional season averaging 13.6 ppg and 13.1 rebounds per game.
Pitting two women against each other is a far from foreign concept in today’s media, not just in sports. Misogyny is deeply rooted in all parts of life, and society loves to fabricate a competition between two young women to diminish one’s talent and skill– a phenomenon that is highlighted through sports media. While sexism does play a key role in the situation, there is another key factor that can’t be ignored. Race.
Reese’s identity as a Black woman has led to even more unnecessary media scrutiny. For example, when Reese made the gesture to her ring finger in the 2023 NCAA championship, the media had a field day. Many people saw this as disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behavior, despite Clark having also made similar, competitive gestures. While one player was praised for her competitive spirit and commitment to the game, the other was shunned.
While Clark should be celebrated for this immense achievement of winning ROTY, Reese can also be celebrated separately for her incredible season. Both of these star athletes can be recognized as individuals, and in turn can promote the WNBA as a league and women’s basketball as a whole.
