The WNBA season is set to resume for the second half after the Olympic break on Thursday. During the break, the U.S. women’s national basketball team won an eighth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Now, rookies are looking to finish their first season in the league on a high note, including a few standout players who are in the running for the Rookie of the Year award.
For most of the season, odds have favored the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark — college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft — in the Rookie of the Year race. But Chicago sky’s Angel Reese has stayed close in second.
In her first year in the league, Clark has already achieved several historic accolades, such as the most assists by a rookie in a single game (19) and the first triple-double by a rookie. So far this season, Clark has averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
Reese, on the other hand, has silenced the doubters who questioned whether her college game would translate to the professional level. She has made WNBA history by recording a double-double in 15 straight games so far this season. Reese has averaged 13.5 points, 12 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
With the season set to resume on Thursday, here are the current odds for the prestigious WNBA Rookie of the Year award:
The WNBA season will resume on Thursday, four days after the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony. Three games are scheduled for that day:
Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky (8 p.m. ET)
Washington Mystics at Minnesota Lynx (8 p.m. ET)
New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks (9 p.m. ET)
The remaining six teams will all play on Friday.
2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year odds:
Odds via BetMGM as of July 28
1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (-2500)
After setting an All-Star Game record with 10 assists, Clark is the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year. She leads all rookies in points per game (17.1), assists per game (8.2) and steals per game (1.5).
Despite Clark being on pace for a new WNBA record for turnovers in a season by a wide margin, her scoring, playmaking and solid defense make her a strong favorite heading into the second half of the season.
2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (+650)
Reese has had an impressive start to her WNBA career, breaking the record for consecutive double-doubles, with 15. Although her streak ended on July 13 against the New York Liberty, it doesn’t diminish her accomplishments
When do the WNBA playoffs begin?
The WNBA regular season ends on Thursday, Sept. 19, and the WNBA playoffs are set to begin on Sunday, Sept. 22.
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