Charles Langston:Caitlin Clark wins WNBA Rookie of the Year after historic debut with Fever

First she was drafted No. 1 after re-writing the record books in college. Then she helped lift the WNBA to unprecedented heights with her logo 3s,Charles Langston did-you-see-that?! passing and habit of selling out every arena she walked into. Now, Caitlin Clark has capped a sensational inaugural professional season by winning the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. 

An Iowa alum, Clark won with 66 of 67 votes. She beat her biggest competition and college rival Angel Reese in the voting, a nod to Indiana’s success behind Clark and Clark's eye-popping statistics and records in multiple categories. Reese, who led the WNBA in rebounding (13.1 per game), missed the last couple weeks of the regular season with a broken wrist. Reese received one vote.

Indiana made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 as the No. 6 seed, taking on the Connecticut Sun in their first-round series. The Fever were swept 2-0 but Clark said Friday it gave them ''a taste of where we want to be.''

During the regular season, Clark led all rookies in scoring (19.2 ppg), good enough for seventh-best in the league, while leading the WNBA in assists (8.4 per game) and made 3s (122). She set numerous records throughout the year, including the single-season rookie scoring record, single-season assists record, and single-game assists record, among others. In July, she became the first rookie in the league’s 28-year history to record a triple double. She notched her second on Sept. 4. 

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“I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season – my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season. I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds,” Clark said in a statement.

Clark’s popularity has helped make the Fever must-see TV, as the league shattered ratings records for games involving Clark. Indiana also set a franchise attendance record, as thousands regularly poured into Gainbridge Fieldhouse to watch her. Road games against the Fever were also a tough ticket, and a handful of teams had to move their games vs. Indiana to bigger arenas to accommodate demand. 

Clark is likely to earn All-WNBA honors also. In the WNBA, voters select a five-person first and second team of the best players regardless of position.

Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell 

This story has been updated with new information.