WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes recently addressed the debate surrounding Caitlin Clark’s near-unanimous Rookie of the Year win. Clark, a standout player for the Indiana Fever, had a challenging start to her debut season but quickly turned heads with her extraordinary performances. As the top pick from the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark delivered stellar stats, averaging 19.2 points, a league-leading 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds, breaking 11 WNBA records along the way.
Despite her impressive run, Clark missed out on a unanimous Rookie of the Year decision, with 66 out of 67 panel votes in her favor and one vote going to Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese. This unexpected outcome led to heated discussions among fans and analysts. Swoopes, known for her four WNBA titles, clarified her position on the matter, emphasizing that she was not part of the voting panel despite previous critiques of Clark’s early-season form.
Speaking on the “Levels To This” podcast, Swoopes offered her praise, stating, “First of all, congratulations to Caitlin, very well deserved. She had a phenomenal rookie season, achieving feats no other rookie has.” She further distanced herself from the vote, humorously adding, “I hate to disappoint the people… You all cannot blame this one on me. I don’t get a vote, and never have.”
Swoopes also mentioned that, at one point, she considered Angel Reese a contender for the award due to her record-setting double-doubles but acknowledged Clark’s dominance post-Olympic break. The discussion surrounding the lone vote for Reese continued, with media figures like CBS’s Terrika Foster-Brasby and iHeartRadio’s Khristina Williams publicly affirming their support for Clark in their voting, aiming to clear up any speculation.
