On Thursday, Caitlin Clark, a guard for the Indiana Fever, was awarded the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
A group of writers and broadcasters voted for Clark, and he received 66 of 67 first place votes. The lone other first-place vote went to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
“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,” Clark stated. “I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds.”
In April, Clark was selected first overall in the WNBA draft. In her debut season as a professional, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game after setting the NCAA Division I women’s basketball scoring record with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Throughout the course of two games, she averaged 18 points, five rebounds, and 8.5 assists, helping the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016.
the moment she got the call 📞
Caitlin Clark was surprised after practice with a call from @WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert where she was announced as 2024 Rookie of the Year.
then, the whole team instantly celebrated 🥹 pic.twitter.com/emEBb54BeQ
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) October 3, 2024
This year, Clark received unanimous votes to win The Associated Press Rookie of the Year and was chosen to the first team of the WNBA. In addition to setting a rookie record for assists in a season, Clark finished the regular season with 337 assists, setting a new league record.
She broke the record for the most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a single season and became the first rookie to record a triple-double.
In a loss to the Dallas Wings on July 17, Clark set a single-game WNBA record with 19 assists. As noteworthy as her play on the court was her impact on the WNBA during her debut season.
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By half the season, Indiana’s jersey sales had soared by more than 1,000%, and Clark’s was the best-selling jersey in the league. According to the AP, attendance at games in which Clark participated was 88% greater than at games in which she did not.
With 1.8 million viewers, Clark’s first playoff game was the most watched WNBA playoff match since 2000.
Clark is the second straight Fever player to earn the Rookie of the Year title; Aliyah Boston won it last year.
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