Who will win WNBA Rookie of the Year? A star-studded class headlined by Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink is adding even more excitement to the 2024 WNBA season. The youngsters are also creating a fascinating battle for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year honors.
Clark obviously has the most fan support, but Reese and Brink are each making significant impacts in their seasons in the W. We’re also witnessing some unheralded players step up in their rookie seasons that deserve more attention.
Related: WNBA power rankings 2024
Let’s dive into the WNBA Rookie of the Year race. We’ll update our rankings every few weeks. Statistics via Basketball Reference and WNBA.com.
WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings 2024
1. Caitlin Clark, PG, Indiana Fever (Previously: 2nd)
| GP / MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG | TS% | WS/48 | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 / 33.0 | 16.1 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .541 | -0.4 | -13.3 |
Caitlin Clark grabs the No. 1 spot in the WNBA Rookie of the Year race. It partially has to do with a tiebreaker we even use with MLB MVP, winning the head-to-head battles against a fellow candidate. In two games this season against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, Clark is 2-0 and averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Victories matter for young teams and Clark’s head-to-head wins should matter in deciding WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Related: Indiana Fever game today, how to watch Caitlin Clark
There is one other thing to address. Not being named to Team USA is almost certainly going to benefit Clark. Even putting aside the fact that it can serve as a source of motivation for her, she also needs the break. Because of how the WNBA schedule works, Clark has essentially been playing basketball since October 2023. Time off in July will provide her with a much-needed break and she can use that time to develop even better on-court chemistry with Aaliyah Boston, which will elevate both of their games.
2. Angel Reese, PF, Chicago Sky (Previously: 3rd)
| GP / MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG | TS% | WS/48 | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 / 30.2 | 12.1 | 10.2 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 1.8 | .467 | 0.156 | 1.0 |
The two head-to-head losses to Caitlin Clark are really the only blemish on Angel Reese’s resume in our WNBA rookie rankings. She is already very comfortable at this level, and her play in June has been outstanding. Over her last 5 games, Reese is averaging 14.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Reese entered Monday with the highest rebounding rate (16.6 percent) in the NBA and she ranked fourth in rebounding (10.2) while sitting fifth among the WNBA leaders in steals (1.8). There were some rookie mistakes made that proved costly in the loss to Indiana, but Reese is playing like a future perennial WNBA All-Star. Don’t discredit her game.
Related: Indiana Fever attendance 2024
3. Cameron Brink, PF, Los Angeles Sparks (Previously: 1st)
| GP / MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG | TS% | WS/48 | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 / 23.3 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .484 | .032 | -8.7 |
Cameron Brink has still been incredible defensively this year. Entering play on June 17, the Los Angeles Sparks rookie was among just four players – Ezi Magbegor, A’ja Wilson and Alanna Smith – averaging 2 blocks and 1 steal per game. Only, Brink is doing it in 23 MPG, whereas her peers average 28-plus MPG. However, Brink slides in our WNBA Rookie of the Year race because of foul trouble (4.3 per game) limiting her to 21.8 minutes per night in June (6 games), resulting in her averaging just 5.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She’s still fun to watch defensively, but there’s room for improvement in other areas of her game.
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4. Kamilla Cardoso, C, Chicago Sky (Previously: Unranked)
| GP / MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG | TS% | WS/48 | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 / 22.3 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0 | .569 | .114 | -10.9 |
We had to keep the No. 3 overall pick out of our WNBA rookie rankings to start the year because of her injury. Now that she’s back, we’re all witnessing glimpses of the player who dominated in the NCAA Tournament for South Carolina. Chicago eased her in slowly in her first 3 games, limiting her to 15 MPG which resulted in averages of 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. In her last four contests, Cardoso has scored in double-figures in each contest (11.25 PPG) and she averaged 7 rebounds and 1 block per night over that span. Cardoso does have to split rebounds with Reese, who is phenomenal in that area, but she’s going to keep producing like this.
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5. Kate Martin, G, Las Vegas Aces (Previously: 4th)
| GP / MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG | TS% | WS/48 | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 / 18.6 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | .504 | .038 | -0.9 |
The Kate Martin buzz is dying down a bit as of late, with the Las Vegas Aces starting to get a bit healthier. However, the second-round pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft has still been a remarkably valuable player for Las Vegas this season, stepping up in some big games both as a reserve and starter. Martin will certainly spend the majority of her rookie season coming off the bench, but that also speaks to the Aces’ depth because she has been one of the best WNBA rookies in 2024.
Just Missed: Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks; Julie Vanloo, G, Washington Mystics; Aaliyah Edwards, F, Washington Mystics; Alissa Pili, F, Minnesota Lynx
WNBA Rookie of the Year winners
- 2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
- 2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
- 2021: Michaela Onyenwere, New York Liberty
- 2020: Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota Lynx
- 2019: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- 2018: A’ja Wilson, Las Begas Aces
- 2017: Alisha Gray, Dallas Wings
- 2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
- 2015: Jewell Lloyd, Seattle Storm
- 2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun
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WNBA Rookie of the Year odds 2024
Here are the latest WNBA ROY odds from FanDuel as of June 17.
- Caitlin Clark – -900
- Cameron Brink – +1400
- Angel Reese – +1400
- Kamilla Cardoso – +4200
- Rickea Jackson – +4800