Even in games where Angel Reese was ejected, her impact was undeniable. The Chicago Sky rookie was ejected with a second technical foul with just over two minutes left in Tuesday’s loss to the New York Liberty. A day later, the WNBA reversed her second foul.
Nonetheless, Reese had recorded her second double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. That’s exactly what Chicago expected with the seventh overall pick in April’s draft. Reese has been a steady contributor through the first month of the WNBA season, but she’s not the only one in the rookie class.
From their final college seasons to the WNBA draft and the start of their professional careers, these rookies bring new star power and captivating energy to the league. They’re figuring things out as they adjust to the next level, but there’s no doubt they’re delivering in a meaningful way.
Feel the love, Sky City💙 pic.twitter.com/nK2wIbN9lR
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 26, 2024
Even though it feels like the year has only just begun, some teams have somehow already crossed the quarter mark of the season. With that, we take a look at the top five rookies from the first month of the season.
15.6 PPG | 15.6 6.4 APG | 6.4 5.1 RPG
Clark’s first month in the WNBA, especially last week, has been in the spotlight. But despite some struggles, she still found a way to give birth. She attacks the rim aggressively and has attempted 48 free throws, seventh-most in the WNBA. Although her 3-point shooting percentage is nearly the same as she was at Iowa, she’s also impacted Indiana’s offense. Reese is certainly ready for the No. 1 spot, but Clark is also shouldering more defensive pressure than any rookie. Her 25.8% usage rate topped WNBA stars such as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu. She shows both growing pains and reasons for optimism. The focus in June should be on cutting down on turnovers, with Clark leading the league (56), 21 more than second-place Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Crowder.
deeper
Has Caitlin Clark lived up to expectations so far in her rookie season in the WNBA? expert debate
2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky News
10.8 points per game | 9.0 RPG | 5.0 RPG
At LSU, Reese had a double-double almost every night. So far, she’s very close to that goal. Entering Thursday night’s game against the Washington Mystics, Reese had at least eight points and eight rebounds in six of eight games.
Reese’s impact on Chicago was tangible. She leads all rookies with nine rebounds per game and leads all WNBA players with five offensive rebounds per game. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, a Naismith Hall of Famer, likes what Reese has to offer, especially on the glass.
“It’s a trick,” Weatherspoon said two weeks ago. “She’s just ruthless. She has a relentless pursuit of the ball and that’s who she is, that’s what she’s about.
Reese regularly establishes quality rebounding position and aggressively attacks the rim without being blocked by opposing big men. Offensively, she’s also shown she’s not afraid of contact, attempting at least six free throws in six games.
Despite Reese’s other limitations in her game, her impact has been clear, making her first month of play particularly impressive.
Almost all of her offense thus far has been around the rim. According to Synergy Sports, she has attempted just nine jump shots this season and made just one. Even at the basket, she struggled to shoot just 29.9 percent. However, underestimating Reese’s importance is a focus for Sky’s opponents.
Improving her outside shooting and finishing around the rim will be crucial to her development. Chicago guard Marina Mabrey also assisted on just six of Reese’s field goal attempts, suggesting there is room for improvement in Chicago’s pick-and-roll game. But if this is Reese’s pitch, the Sky have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their future.
8.0 points | 5.4 Role Playing | 2.6 BPG
Brink, like Reese and Clark, displayed the skills that made her a star at Stanford. Although the Sparks were just 2-7, Brinke scored a career-high 21 points in 23 minutes against the Dallas Wings on May 26 and had at least five rebounds six times. . Coach Curt Miller did not extend the No. 2 pick’s usage. Brink has yet to play more than 30 minutes in a game, but she has shown off her offensive skills. She excelled in catch-and-shoot opportunities and looked comfortable around the basket, shooting 63 percent from the field, according to Synergy Sports. Although Brinker was known as a shot-blocker in college (averaging 2.6 blocks per game so far), some opposing big men have managed to outmatch her. Brink allowed the big men she defended to shoot 43.9 percent from the field.
Despite his fairly limited playing time, Ricky Jackson still excelled in his three-point shooting and rebounding performance. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
9.1 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 46.7 FG
Of the players in my current top five, Jackson has played the least minutes (208), but she’s made the most of her opportunity. She’s tied for third among rookies in 3-point field goal percentage (seven), but ranks second in field goal percentage among rookies with at least 10 attempts (only Alissa Pili is better). She’s an excellent rebounder (3.0 per game) and has proven she can score in a variety of ways. Sometimes that comes in the form of being aggressive in transition, sometimes from behind the arc or slashing to the rim. She has shot at least 50 percent from the field in five of nine games, though she has done so only once since entering the starting lineup on May 28.
6.6 PPG | 5.0 APG | 5.0 APG 2.6 RPG
Uzun will make her WNBA debut this summer, but she’s no stranger to playing with and against some of the best competition in the world. The 26-year-old defender played for Euroleague champions Turkish club Fenerbahce last winter, where she played alongside Nafissa Collier, Keira McBride, Natasha Howard, Nina Milley Chi has played alongside big names like Emma Miseman. Uzun made the Wings’ opener roster after signing a training camp contract and was thrust into the team’s starting lineup.
She was soon trusted to extract the best talent from a team aspiring to a top-four finish. Uzun averaged 31.3 minutes per game, which ranked second on the roster and second among rookies behind Clark. While she’s still figuring out how to play with Arik Ogunbowale, the early returns are positive. Twelve of Uzun’s 40 assists came from Ogunbowale, and she found Dallas big men Teira McCown and Monique Billings on multiple occasions. According to Synergy Sports, in addition to her offensive playmaking ability, the 5-foot-10 Uzun has been an excellent defender so far, allowing opponents to shoot only 28.6 percent of the shots she defends.
🇹🇷Our national team player Sevgi Uzun started the first five games last night and stayed on the court for 26 minutes and 24 seconds, scoring 4 points (1-8 shooting, 2-2 free throws 2), 2 rebounds, 4 assists.pic.twitter.com/FH2dwrQ6II https://t.co/QnJHxul5Ml
— Women’s Basketball (@womenhoop) June 6, 2024
She’s fearless on both ends of the floor. Exhibit A: It didn’t go down, but she came close to making the shot of the year when she took an inbounds pass from Suns center Brionna Jones and caught her own with less than 10 seconds left in the one-point game. Pass the ball and shoot.
Others considered: Julie Vanloo (Mystics), Pili (Bobcats), Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics), Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces)
(Top photo of Caitlin Clark (left) and Angel Reese: Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
