Clark-Reese Rivalry and the Best Storylines of 2024 WNBA Season so Far
We're just about halfway through the WNBA season, and it's already one of the most successful, loud and entertaining campaigns in league history.
You need to give the league credit for the years of preparation and hard work it took to get here. Yes, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese coming onto the scene brought new eyes to the game, but the game had always been great, and those in the know had felt a positive shift in interest coming for a while.
Now that Clark and Reese are here, the emerging rivalry has somehow already exceeded our highest entertainment expectations. Between the Rookie of the Year debate, the Liberty and the Aces dominating, the Lynx reemerging and some historic individual performances, we've got a lot to talk about.
Here are eight storylines to keep an eye on as we enter the second half of the season.
Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese Has Somehow Exceeded Expectations
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There's been an undeniably clumsy learning curve for the general population as the WNBA has burst into the mainstream and captivated millions this season. And let's be clear right out of the gate: The W's popularity didn't just emerge due to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. This near-three-decade-old league has been trending upwards for years, in part due to talent, in part due to business savvy, outspoken league personalities and of course the quality of play.
These players have built the WNBA from the ground up, and some of them are still active to see it, but you'll notice many of these active players acknowledging the past that got us to this moment.
That hard work and dedication to building the league up has now perfectly coincided with what is sure to end up one of the greatest rivalries in league history: Clark vs. Reese.
The aforementioned learning curve has ushered in some weird, off-court debates surrounding the two rookies. The usual pundits have pushed it with fabricating controversy, and the irony is they're losing what is actually the most entertaining plot: the players themselves making history on the court almost every week. The way Clark vs. Reese is playing out on the court is more interesting than any speculative drama.
Take the events of the past week for instance: On Saturday against the New York Liberty, Clark, at 22 years and 166 days, became the first rookie and the youngest player in the WNBA to achieve a triple-double. It was also the first triple-double in league history against an opponent with the league's best record.
Clark is also the first rookie in WNBA history to have three straight games with at least 10 points and 10 assists. According to Basketball Reference, she has scored or assisted on a league-leading 755 points this season. Clark has tremendously helped a bad Indiana Fever start to turn things around.
On Sunday, Reese tallied her 13th consecutive double-double, a league record. The Chicago Sky rookie also reached 275 points, 225 rebounds and 30 steals in 20 games, the second-fastest player to reach those marks, behind only Yolanda Griffith in 1999 in 19 games. Reese has really blossomed throughout the season, leading the league in total rebounds, rebounds per game and offensive rebounds.
Then Wednesday rolled around as the Fever played the Mystics and the Sky played the Dream. Clark became the first WNBA (or NBA) player ever to have at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five three pointers in a game. Meanwhile, with six seconds to go, Reese extended her record-breaking double-double streak to 14.
The shooting-savvy Clark is averaging 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. The more defensively focused Reese is averaging 14.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
While turnovers are a knock on Clark, think of it like this: She's eating tons of minutes on a not-so-great team, so this was a pretty inevitable "struggle" as she acclimates to the pros. The obvious knock on Reese in the ROY conversation is the lower production.
No matter how the season ends and the Rookie of the Year award ends up shaking out, perhaps the most entertaining facet of the rivalry so far is how they play against each other.
You need to check out the next Fever vs. Sky game August 30.
The Whole Rookie Class Is Electric
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Although Clark, Reese and both of their already historic seasons highlight this class, there's so much more to love about the 2024 rookies.
Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink's defense seamlessly transitioned to the pros before her torn ACL. 6'7" Sky center Kamilla Cardoso is a steadily improving role player to watch who has been thriving post-injury, No. 4 overall pick Rickea Jackson of the Sparks is averaging more minutes now that Brink is out and is rising to the challenge with 10.7 points per game. Aaliyah Edwards has been a bright spot in the Mystics' brutal season as they head toward the draft lottery to get her some help.
My favorite rookie thing this season, though? The way the Las Vegas Aces adore Kate Martin. Wilson has posted a few videos ribbing the rook, including one where the bus left without her.
She also received a Hello Kitty backpack from the team and made a speech about the gift.
"I feel really honored that I get to walk around with this," Martin said with a straight face. "Thank you so much for this opportunity. I'd not only like to thank God, but Jesus. Yeah, thank you."
There's something special about this rookie class full of personalities, and they're definitely continuing the W's tradition of solid fashion choices. Nika Muhl is an early standout.
MVP Is A'ja Wilson's to Lose
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Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson became the franchise's all-time leading scorer (4,301 points) Sunday during the Aces' win over the Wings.
Wilson put up 28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the victory, the latest of many standout performances from the two-time WNBA MVP this season. She leads the WNBA in scoring (27.0 ppg) and blocks (2.7 bpg) and ranks second in rebounds (10.9 rpg).
According to Basketball Reference, Wilson handily owns the highest Player Efficiency Rating in the W at 35.3, reflecting her well-rounded dominance in every facet of the game this season. Her 3.9 Offensive Win Shares (an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to offense) lead the league, which was clearly pivotal as the Aces were struggling to return to championship form; meanwhile her 1.7 Defensive Win Shares rank No. 6.
Put 'em together and she owns the highest overall Win Shares at 5.6, worth an entire win share more than No. 2 Breanna Stewart, who has been incredible leading the Liberty to title contention.
Wilson's teammate Kelsey Plum declared last week that the MVP should be a unanimous vote, and it's tough to argue against that halfway through the season. It's not that contenders haven't been solid: Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu have led the Liberty to their league-best .818 win percentage.
Napheesa Collier has led the Lynx to No. 1 in the Western Conference with a 16-6 record and a .727 win percentage. But no one has individually done more for their team than Wilson, especially following legendary teammate Candace Parker's retirement.
Liberty Emerging as Favorites
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The New York Liberty (18-4) just beat the Connecticut Sun (17-5) to give them the most wins and best win percentage (.818) in the WNBA. They've emerged as one of the most convincing contenders to thwart an Aces three-peat attempt.
They are just behind Las Vegas averaging the second-highest points per game in the league at 86.7. They're No. 2 in rebounds (36.0), No. 2 in assists per game, No. 2 in field-goal percentage (45.2) and No. 1 in three-pointers made (219). Their net rating leads the league at 11.5, which shows just how well-rounded the team is.
You can't talk about the Liberty without mentioning the contributions of Stewart and Ionescu. Stewart is leading the team with 19.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Meanwhile, Ionescu is leading in assists with 6.3. This duo could do serious damage come the playoffs.
Can the Aces Pull Off the Three-peat?
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The back-to-back champion Aces have returned to form headed into the Olympic break, winning seven of their last eight games led by MVP front-runner Wilson. The Aces boast a league-leading 89.4 points per game and 107.7 offensive rating, the best field-goal percentage (45.2), an average of five blocks per game (No. 3 leaguewide), the No. 1 free-throw percentage (83.8) and the No. 3 three-point percentage (35.4).
Wilson has shown us time and time again that she will make things happen in big moments. She was the team's rock when it was struggling early amid a 6-6 start, and now that the 14-7 Aces have found their footing, she's still putting up around 28 points per game every night.
We're only halfway through the season, but with the way the Aces have been picking up steam, you've gotta think Vegas becoming the first team to three-peat since the Houston Comets won four in a row from 1997 to 2000 is at least possible.
And how fun would a high-octane offensive matchup between the Liberty and Aces in the Finals be?
Everyone Wins with USA All-Stars vs. Olympic Team Showdown
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In the latest example of the WNBA seizing the "moment" and getting it right, the league was able to take advantage of not having Clark on the Olympic team with its All-Star format. As the U.S. women's basketball team sets out to try to win its eighth straight Olympic gold medal, there will be an exhibition showdown vs. the rest of the WNBA's top talent.
This game will mark the second time that the WNBA All-Star Game will highlight the USA Basketball vs. Team WNBA format. Team WNBA won 93-85 in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics.
Clark and Reese are on Team WNBA, and tipoff is Saturday, July 20, at 8:30 pm, broadcasted on ABC.
Team USA Roster
A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
2024 WNBA All-Stars
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun
Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
Can We Call the Lynx Dark Horses?
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Are the Minnesota Lynx "dark horses"? And would that be "fun"? These are two questions I'm grappling with as we evaluate the most recent WNBA dynasty to win four titles in seven years. The Lynx survived a rocky start and rose to No. 3 in the WNBA standings, winning the in-season Commissioner's Cup along the way.
"You have to talk about us now," head coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters after winning the Cup.
Period!
The Lynx entered 2023-24 season facing one of the most competitive fields in league history given the Aces' back-to-back status, the development of young stars across the league and the loaded rookie class teams like Indiana, Chicago and Los Angeles got to pick from in the draft. The Liberty and The Aces also returned every starter from their 2023 Finals teams, and Seattle and Phoenix entered the chat via free-agency power moves.
What a dang field. Does it help that five of six previous Cup game participants went on to earn top seeds in the playoffs? The 2022 champion Las Vegas Aces went on to win their first WNBA championship, and the 2023 game between Las Vegas and New York became a Finals preview.
Either way, I'd look out for the Lynx, Napheesa Collier and Reeve if I were you.
Ellie the Elephant Forever
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If you don't know, now you know about the best professional mascot in the game, the New York Liberty's Ellie the Elephant. Somebody finally surpassed the Philadelphia Flyers' Gritty, and it's an Elephant equipped with tons of personality and even better dance moves.
In all seriousness, it takes an immense amount of skill and hard work to play this role. I just love the connection Ellie has to the Liberty's New York roots as well.
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