Few rookies exceed expectations after being picked first in any American sports league. There are even fewer who run away with Rookie of the Year awards unanimously — or almost unanimously.
Fortunately for basketball fans in 2024, there were two players of such status, one from each major league. Victor Wembanyama became the seventh NBA player to win the honor by capturing every single vote and Caitlin Clark tallied all but one — which went to Angel Reese — when voted the WNBA's premier rookie.
The two stars are familiar with one another, too. The Spurs center shouted out the Fever guard publicly in a Q&A on the team's social media platforms Friday.
Here's everything to know about Wembanyama paying Clark the ultimate compliment, explaining why he was "in awe" of her in college.
UPDATED NBA PLAYER RANKINGS: Where LeBron, Curry and more stars land ahead of 2024-25 season
What did Victor Wembanyama say about Caitlin Clark?
Members of the Spurs roster were asked to name a WNBA player who inspires them and what makes them stand out in a video posted to the team's social media accounts. Wembanyama quickly answered "Caitlin Clark" and then elaborated on his choice.
"When she was in college, the only college player that I was really in awe of the game," he said. "Men and women's college basketball, she's probably the most impressive I've seen."
and @wemby with the shoutout for @CaitlinClark22 👏 pic.twitter.com/xzaX6tRd8Q
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 4, 2024
Clark, of course, had a dominant career at Iowa.
In 139 games over four seasons, Clark averaged 28.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.4 rebounds. She finished with the most career points, most career 3-pointers and most career assists in Division 1 basketball, men's or women's. There's plenty more where that came from, too.
MORE: The next steps for Fever to build contender around Caitlin Clark
Victor Wembanyama vs. Caitlin Clark rookie stats
Clark and Wembanyama both had historic, record-breaking seasons in their respective leagues.
With San Antonio, the French national achieved many milestones his rookie year, like becoming the second first-year player ever to record a 5x5 game (at least five points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) and notching a 40-point, 20-rebound game in March.
In Indiana, Clark propelled the Fever to attendance numbers never seen before in the WNBA and record-breaking viewership stats. Not to mention she earned Rookie of the Month four times, recorded the first two triple-doubles by a rookie in league history and broke the single-season assist record to name a few of her other accolades.
MORE: What's next for Caitlin Clark after historic rookie season in Indiana
It's worth mentioning when comparing the two that the NBA plays nearly twice as many regular-season games as the WNBA. However, the Fever did make their way into the postseason and the Spurs did not, which is another thing to consider.
Here are the two stat lines that earned Wembanyama and Clark their respective ROTY awards:
| Victor Wembanyama | Stat | Caitlin Clark |
| 71 | GP | 40 |
| 29.7 | MIN | 35.4 |
| 21.4 | PTS | 19.2 |
| 10.6 | REB | 5.7 |
| 3.9 | AST | 8.4 |
| 1.2 | STL | 1.3 |
| 3.6 | BLK | 0.7 |
| 3.7 | TO | 5.6 |
| 46.5 | FG% | 41.7 |
| 32.5 | 3PT% | 34.4 |
| 79.6 | FT% | 90.6 |
| 2.2 | PF | 2.8 |
