WNBA Rookie of the Year betting: Can Angel Reese catch Caitlin Clark? - ESPN

Who is the best rookie in the WNBA this season?

Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, has been the runaway favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award since before the season began. Meanwhile, Angel Reese, the No. 7 pick and Clark's old college rival, was an afterthought in the Rookie of the Year discussions coming into the season.

A month into the season, Clark was still the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year at -700, per ESPN BET. Reese had been moved significantly by the oddsmakers after a strong start to the season, and her +1000 odds were up to third, behind Clark and Cameron Brink. At that moment, I felt Reese's performance was outpacing her odds and at 10-1 she was undervalued in the Rookie of the Year race.

Since then? Both Clark and Reese have thrived.

In the last month, both have moved beyond «playing well for rookies», and instead are among the best producers in the league overall. Both have been named All-Stars and they've been taking turns notching achievements that few players, if any, have ever achieved in their first seasons.

Which one is on pace to win the Rookie of the Year award now? Currently, Clark is still a huge favorite at -800, but Reese has made it a two-player race with odds of +450. Rickea Jackson is the only other first-year player even listed at ESPN BET, at +30,000.

Let's make the case for why each should win the honor and compare each rookie season to the other ROY campaigns of the past seven seasons.

Clark is already one of the best offense-creators in the WNBA and she is rapidly picking up steam. After struggling a bit with her efficiency in her first month of the season, Clark has adjusted the way she attacks defenses during the past month. Instead of focusing on the