If Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark’s biggest competitor on the court, ESPN may have taken on the role of Clark’s biggest off-court rival. Many fans have noticed that much of ESPN’s coverage of Clark this season seems to carry a negative tone. Just last week, ESPN placed Reese ahead of Clark in their WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings, causing some confusion. But on Wednesday, when ESPN ranked Clark third and Reese 10th on its list of the top 10 greatest rookie seasons in WNBA history, fans were left baffled, especially given the recent inconsistency.
One fan pointed out, “So they have Caitlin at 3 and Reese at 10, but Reese is ROTY?” Another added, “They’ll do anything to diminish her achievements, but it’s not working.” A third fan questioned the criteria, saying, “Third best regular season? Based on accomplishments (points, 3-pointers made, assists, rebounds, steals) with four games left compared to others’ full seasons?” The backlash continued, with a user commenting, “A week ago, she wasn’t even the best rookie according to ESPN. What changed?”
The confusion deepened as another fan observed, “Two weeks ago, ESPN had Angel as Rookie of the Year—how did that change so dramatically in just two weeks?” Some fans even suggested that ESPN was scrambling to recognize Clark’s accomplishments before she broke records.
Clark currently leads the WNBA in assists per game (8.5) and is the top rookie in multiple categories, including points per game (19.2), free-throw percentage (.907), made 3-pointers per game (3.1), made field goals per game (6), steals per game (1.3), and player efficiency rating (19). Heading into Wednesday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces, she was just 11 assists away from breaking the WNBA’s single-season assist record.
Fans continue to debate ESPN’s shifting stance, but Clark’s performance on the court speaks for itself.
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