Caitlin Clark Wins WNBA Rookie of the Year, 1 Vote Shy of Unanimous

Caitlin Clark’s rapid rise in women’s basketball has shown no signs of slowing down. The Indiana Fever star’s latest accolade—the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award, announced Thursday—is just the latest cherry on top of what continues to be an impressive year on and off the court.

She won 66 out of 67 votes, with rival Angel Reese receiving the remaining vote.

On Sept. 22, the Associated Press announced that Clark won its official Rookie of the Year Award. She swept the AP’s 15-person panel, the media organization said last week.

Also announced Sept. 22: A’ja Wilson, who averaged 26.9 points a game and is the first player in WNBA history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, was the AP’s unanimous choice as the Player of the Year.

Clark’s 2024, which ended with a 2-0 sweep at the hands of the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs, has further cemented her status as a generational talent. She has amassed an impressive list of milestones, including:

• Set the record as the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader
• Achieved unanimous All-American status for the second time
• Starred in the most-watched women’s college basketball game
• Selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft
• Made an appearance on Saturday Night Live
• Launched her signature basketball with Wilson
• Led the Fever to their first playoff berth in eight years

The Clark Effect Is Real

It’s no secret that Clark’s on-court performance has propelled the league’s popularity and boosted TV ratings as well as attendance. The WNBA has experienced remarkable viewership growth this season, starting with a record 2.45 million viewers for the draft—nearly four times the average for the 2023 Finals. Clark’s Fever debut attracted over two million viewers, one of the highest-rated games in decades.

ESPN reported an average of 1.2 million viewers for regular-season games, a 170% increase from last year, while WNBA Countdown averaged 508,000 viewers—higher than last year’s average game viewership. Ion also saw a 133% increase and reported that 50% of its audience aged 18–49 were female, the largest percentage among WNBA broadcasters.

The WNBA playoffs began Sept. 22 with four matchups: the Fever facing the Sun, the Liberty taking on the Dream, the Lynx matching up with the Mercury, and the Aces going up against the Storm, all while competing for viewership against the NFL.