Two-Horse Race: Ex-NFL Star Weighs in on WNBA Rookie of the Year
The WNBA Rookie of the Year award is down to two top contenders, with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese making strong cases for the accolade. As the league heads into the All-Star and Olympics break, fans are eagerly awaiting the outcome of this intense competition.
WNBA rookie standouts Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Clark is averaging an impressive 16.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, with a notable achievement of recording the first triple-double for a rookie in WNBA history. Reese, on the other hand, is the only rookie averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and is currently on a record-breaking streak of consecutive double-doubles.
“It’s so hard because they’re both breaking records,” said Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman, who has been following the WNBA matchups this summer. “This is the good thing, and I know people don’t want to hear me say this – no matter who you pick, there’s gonna be an uproar.”
Shawne Merriman, former San Diego Chargers linebacker
Merriman explained that although Clark is changing the game for the future, Reese’s numbers right now are simply too good to ignore. “Angel Reese, what she’s doing right now, and those numbers are historic, so you would almost have to give it to her,” he said.
Creating Storylines and Building the Brand
The former NFL star emphasized the importance of the WNBA cultivating the popularity and storylines surrounding the league to increase and maintain its current momentum. “What Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have done for the WNBA has been wonders,” Merriman said. “I think that, I hate to say this, but it’s almost like a Magic-Bird type of feeling because it’s one of those things where all this commotion still brings eyeballs.”
Building the WNBA brand with stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson
Merriman hopes that the WNBA will capitalize on this opportunity to take the league to new heights, creating storylines and building the brand around its talented players.
“This is the perfect opportunity to change women’s sports forever, if they do it right,” he said. “They got the perfect scenario with Angel Reese, with Caitlin Clark, with A’ja Wilson. You have about 5-10 superstars that you can create these storylines, these build-ups and take the WNBA to new heights so they can get the money that they deserve.”
