Thanks to the influx of extraordinary young talent, the popularity of the WNBA is blowing up. Unsurprisingly, the betting markets are too. Showing respect to the wonderful women’s game, this gambler will occasionally dip his toe in the WNBA wagering waters.
The pick — Angel Reese to win Rookie of the Year (+350, DraftKings)
- DraftKings offer: Bet $5 and get $150 in Bonus Bets
Hop into the wayback machine and jump in reverse to 2004. In an era where mid-calf shorts were all the rage, a pair of prodigious basketball titans clashed. That was the year LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony engaged in one of the most epic Rookie of the Year battles in hoops history.
Though Anthony’s Denver Nuggets completely outclassed LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers in overall record and their statistical profiles were similar, King James won Rookie of the Year by a 78-40 margin in the media voting. It wasn’t quite Grant Hill vs. Jason Kidd in 1995, but the arguments for or against each candidate were rather contentious.
The vibe of this year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is comparable. Fans, even casuals, have a strong opinion about who should take home the coveted award.
Currently, Clark is a hefty -550 to hoist the hardware. Reese sits at +350. That’s still a fairly wide divide, but just over two weeks ago, the odds were -900 for Clark and +1200 for Reese.
Already past the midway point of the season, the race could tighten even more.
Yes, Clark is in control of the popular vote, has a record-setting rookie triple-double under her belt and is the better overall stats contributor. However, Reese has also carved her name in the WNBA record book by breaking Candace Parker’s consecutive double-doubles mark with a 13th-straight double-double.
Stats breakdown: Clark vs. Reese
| Stat | Clark | Reese |
| PTS | 16.1 | 14.1 |
| REB | 6.0 | 11.9 |
| AST | 7.4 | 1.9 |
| STL | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| BLK | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| FG% | 39.3 | 41.8 |
| 3P% | 33.1 | 25.0 |
| FT% | 88.8 | 75.2 |
| +/- | -114 | +27 |
If the league's rebounding leader continues to expand her game — Reese has recently started taking and hitting threes — and the Sky sneak into the playoffs, she’ll certainly earn votes, perhaps enough to even edge Clark.
But first, Basketball Barbie must dominate the August 30 rematch against Clark’s Fever in Chicago. Just 1-2 against Indiana, the Sky must tie the season series to boost Reese’s resume and give her a real chance to overcome Clark.
If you believe the right cards will fall, backing Reese to win Rookie of the Year at +350 is more than a decent value.
No matter what rookie rivalry is referenced — Bird-Magic, Kidd-Hill or LeBron-Carmelo — it may not compare to what is sure to become one of basketball’s most memorable award races between Clark and Reese. The inevitable Netflix documentary will be fire.