Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe agree: As of right now, Caitlin Clark should be the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Speaking on a recent panel, Bird and Rapinoe delivered their analysis with their trademarked humor and candor.
MEGAN RAPINOE and SUE BIRD have Caitlin Clark as ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. #wnba #caitlinclark @CaitlinClark22 #feverrising
“I have Caitlin. She’s leading in all the categories: assists, turnovers, points,” Rapinoe said as the crowd erupted in laughter.
Rapinoe then playfully scolded the fans, asking them not to “roast her.”
Bird ultimately agreed that Clark should be the Rookie of the Year frontrunner.
“For Rookie of the Year, I don’t really do the stat comparison,” Bird said. “Yeah, it can help inform things when it’s tight, for sure. I don’t do the record. I just do the eye test and to me, she’s Rookie of the Year.”
While Bird and Rapinoe’s opinions won’t necessarily matter regarding who takes home the award, their voices matter greatly in the WNBA community. And at a time where fans and media new to the league are trying to paint a rivalry between the rookies (mainly Clark) and veterans, Bird’s endorsement is a big one.
Bird and Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi have been close friends for more than two decades, dating back to their college days at UConn. Taurasi drew the ire of Clark fans in April for her “reality is coming” comment about the then-Iowa Hawkeye’s future in the WNBA. Since then, Clark and Taurasi have shown a mutual admiration for each other, but juicy narratives don’t die that easily.
Bird’s voice in support of Clark helps.
The Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year Case
Rapinoe’s stats comment may have been sarcastic, but the numbers don’t lie. In her first 26 career games, Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. That scoring average leads all rookies and she leads the entire WNBA in assists.
Yes, the turnovers are a problem and need to be considered. Clark’s 145 turnovers are already a WNBA single-season record, which she set before the Olympic break. And while her scoring numbers are high, her shooting numbers are not. Clark is making just 32.7% of her three-point attempts and is shooting 40.5% from the field overall.
If Bird is using the eye test, however, it’s much easier to overlook Clark’s sub-par efficiency and decision making. In the Fever’s final game before the break, she set the WNBA single-game assist record, recording 19 in a loss to the Dallas Wings. It was the sixth time in her last seven games that she had double-digit assists. She also had at least 13 points in each of those games.
More importantly, the Fever are vastly improved from last year. Indiana went 13-27 in 2023, missing the playoffs and winning the WNBA lottery, where they drafted Clark first overall. This year, they’re 11-15 — still not great, but in the playoff picture as it stands today. They’re also 10-7 since their 1-8 start to the year.
Angel Reese Is Also Having a Great Year: ‘2 Things Can Be True’
Bird and Rapinoe agree that Clark is their Rookie of the Year pick, but they were careful not to ignore the historic season Angel Reese is also having.
Reese, seemingly the only other logical choice for the award, set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles (15) earlier in the year and is averaging 13.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
“Angel’s having an amazing season,” Rapinoe opined.
Bird agreed, reminding fans that picking one player over the other for Rookie of the Year is not necessarily a knock on the player not picked.
“Two truths. They can both be good,” Bird said. “They can both be having great years.”
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Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe Reveal Their WNBA Rookie of the Year Pick