The first month of the 2024 WNBA season is complete, which means there is hardware to hand out. When it comes to the rookies, it's a familiar name that was given an honor.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the month for May. Fresh off her sensational career at Iowa in the NCAA, the guard wasted no time standing out at the professional level — maybe not to the level of dominance as shown in college hoops, but that should be expected considering the WNBA consists of the best players in the world.
The award comes on the heels of Clark's incident with Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter, which has only fueled a surprising, but not unpredictable, backlash toward the WNBA's newest star.
When it comes to Rookie of the Month, is there some merit to the displeasure with Clark's recognition for May, or was the Fever rookie the undisputed standout performer among the first-year players?
Here's what the numbers have to say in the Clark Rookie of the Month argument compared to Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and others.
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Did Caitlin Clark deserve WNBA Rookie of the Month?
Clark isn't dropping 30-point performances night in and night out like she was in college. In fact, she's hit 30 points just once in her first 11 games at the pro level.
However, what has been on display is the rest of her all-around game, which gets lost at times when she's busy doing her best Steph Curry impression and chucking up deep 3's. Her passing has translated well from college, and she has quickly taken over as the leader of Indiana.
In total, she averaged 17.6 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game in her first month as a member of Indiana. She leads the Fever in points and assists per contest, immediately centering herself as the focal point of the offense.
Caitlin Clark demonstrated an all around game to win @Kia Rookie of the Month 🏀
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 3, 2024
Clark notched 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 6.6 APG in May to lead first year players#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/D2mD7A8c5e
Certain people will point to her turnovers. Yes, you would rather see the 5.4 TO per game — which does rank first in the entire league — go down, but look who is right behind her. It's Connecticut Suns star Alyssa Thomas, Seattle Storm standout Skyler Diggins-Smith, and Dallas Wings member Arike Ogunbowale.
Those with the highest turnovers tend to be those with the ball in their hands the most, which usually means they are their team's best player. It's not a shock to see Clark also leading that category.
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Caitlin Clark stats vs. WNBA rookies
Clark's averages were good enough to make her stand out not just on her team, but also among all rookies. She is part of a deep WNBA rookie class consisting of phenoms Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks), and Aaliyah Edwards (Washington Mystics.)
The Fever star isn't the only rookie balling out right now. Out in Los Angeles, Brink's game has translated exceptionally well to the WNBA, as the towering center is third in the league in blocks per game (2.6). Meanwhile, Reese is once again dominating in the paint, as the Sky rookie is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game, which is good for seventh in all of the WNBA.
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So, did Clark deserve the Rookie of the Month honor? Here is what the numbers say.
| Games | MIN | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | |
| Caitlin Clark (IND) | 11 | 33.0 | 15.6 | 6.4 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 35.7 | 29.7 | 89.6 |
| Cameron Brink (LAS) | 8 | 24.6 | 8.8 | 2.1 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 47.2 | 36.8 | 81.3 |
| Angel Reese (CHI) | 7 | 28.6 | 10.6 | 1.9 | 8.9 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 35.3 | 0.0 | 66.7 |
| Aaliyah Edwards (IND) | 8 | 20.1 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 42.0 | 0.0 | 52.6 |
| Rickea Jackson (LAS) | 8 | 24.3 | 10.0 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 49.1 | 46.7 | 82.6 |
| Kamilla Cardoso (CHI) | 1 | 18.0 | 11.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 71.4 | 0.0 | 50.0 |
Clark is first among rookies in points, assists, steals, and free-throw percentage, at least among those who have played multiple games. She also is averaging the most minutes, taking on the opponent's toughest competition.
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Based on those stats, it's understandable how she earned the honor, but given how deep this class of first-year pros is, it's likely only a matter of time before someone like Brink or Reese get the honor in a different month.
