Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year, The Athletic reported Friday night.
The Athletic also reported that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Clark’s honor was widely expected after she set multiple records in her first season in the league.
The No. 1 draft pick broke the records for assists both in a season (337) and in a single game (19). She was also the first player to record two triple-doubles in her rookie season, and her 769 total points (19.2 per game) marked the most a rookie has ever had.
The WNBA had yet to announce the awards themselves, but they appeared to be confirmed by the players Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) in a statement that targeted USA Today columnist Christine Brennan for interview questions it found unsavory.
“This week was dedicated to celebrating and amplifying A’ja (Wilson), Caitlin, DiJonai (Carrington) and Napheesa for their hard work and truly exception performances all season long,” the union’s statement began, before going on to air complaints about questions Brennan asked Carrington about accidental contact the Connecticut Sun player made with Clark during their first-round playoff series.
It had been previously revealed that Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces was the league’s MVP and Carrington won Most Improved Player.
As for Collier, the 28-year-old forward averaged 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game (all career highs) to go with her 20.4 points per game in 34 starts in the regular season.
Collier also recently dropped 38 and 42 points in the Lynx’s two first-round playoff games against the Phoenix Mercury, leading a 2-0 sweep.
–Field Level Media