Caitlin Clark is WNBA’s Rookie of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark has been named the WNBA Rookie of the 12 months in a near-unanimous vote, giving the Indiana Fever back-to-back winners after Aliyah Boston gained the dignity final season.

A nationwide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave Clark 66 of 67 votes in balloting launched Thursday. Chicago Sky ahead Angel Reese obtained the opposite.

Clark, the No. 1 general decide from Iowa, averaged 19.2 factors and a league-best 8.4 assists per sport whereas serving to the WNBA set attendance data and garner mainstream consideration. She struggled a bit early within the season, however discovered her groove and was an All-Star starter. The unanimous AP Rookie of the 12 months led the Fever to the playoffs for the primary time since 2016 and a 20-20 report after a 1-8 begin.

“I’m a troublesome grader. I really feel like I had a strong yr,” Clark stated after the Fever have been eradicated within the first spherical of the playoffs. “For me, the enjoyable half is like I really feel like I’m simply scratching the floor and I’m the one which’s nit selecting each single factor I do. I do know I need to assist this franchise. … I do know there’s a number of room for me to proceed to enhance in order that’s what excites me essentially the most. I really feel like I proceed to get lots higher.”

Clark was not chosen for the U.S. Olympic group — a choice that disenchanted her legions of followers — however she confirmed within the weeks afterward that she may need been useful. The Fever guard averaged 24.7 factors and 9.3 assists in her first 10 video games after the Olympic break and led Indiana to an 8-2 report.

Clark was named the Japanese Convention Participant of the Month for August, was Participant of the Week 3 times and Rookie of the Month 4 instances. She recorded the primary two triple-doubles by a rookie in WNBA historical past, set a league single-game report with 19 assists and have become the primary rookie to have at the very least 30 factors and 10 assists in a sport.

Clark led the league with 122 3-pointers, was second with 90.6% accuracy from the free-throw line and averaged 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. She set a league single-season report with 337 assists and set rookie data of 769 factors and 122 three-pointers made.

Reese averaged 13.6 factors and 13.1 rebounds for the Sky.

Off the court docket, Clark, Reese and their fellow rookies have been a rankings and attendance boon for the WNBA. Six totally different league tv companions set viewership data this yr for its highest considered WNBA sport. All of these video games included the Fever.

Indiana led the league in attendance each at residence and on the street. The Fever averaged 17,036 at residence and greater than 15,000 on the street. 4 groups moved residence video games to larger arenas when Indiana got here to city to accommodate extra followers.

Regardless of Indiana’s blowout loss to Connecticut in Sport 1, followers tuned in as the sport averaged 1.8 million viewers, in keeping with ESPN, making it the WNBA’s most watched playoff sport for the reason that 2000 Finals. It was essentially the most watched playoff sport on ESPN ever regardless of going up in opposition to the NFL.

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