Rookie watch: Players beyond Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese are blossoming

Eden Laase

After the Olympic break, all eyes are still on the WNBA’s rookie class. There are three weeks left in the regular season, and as teams fight for playoff spots, the debut seasons for up-and-coming talent like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are winding down. The headlines, however, are not.

Here’s what your favorite rookies are up to:

Not only is Clark pushing her team into the postseason, she’s setting records while doing it. In an 84-80 victory over Connecticut on Wednesday, the Fever guard made three 3-pointers, setting a rookie single-season record. The previous mark of 85 was set by Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard. Clark’s total now sits at 88 with nine games remaining.

The 3-point record came 11 days after Clark set the rookie single-season assist mark with a pass to Lexie Hull on the fast break. Clark now has 247 assists, well past Ticha Penicheiro’s previous mark of 225, set in 1998.

The Fever face the Sky in Chicago on Friday night in the fourth and final regular-season matchup between Clark and Reese, with Indiana already claiming two wins.

On the court, Reese is raking in rebounds, and off the court, she’s raking in the brand deals. This month alone Reese has launched a clothing line with Reebok, a partnership with the candy brand Reese’s, and her own podcast, Unapologetically Angel.

Her Reebok line includes shoes, T-shirts and athletic wear, while the deal with Reese’s includes a special orange and yellow jersey inspired by the candy.

The Sky rookie’s podcast launches Sept. 5 with episodes coming out weekly.

The off-court success is nothing new to Reese, who created a brand for herself while at LSU. In college she had an NIL valuation of $1.8 million, and now as a pro, the deals keep coming.

Los Angeles Sparks' Rickea Jackson takes control of the ball during a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Los Angeles Sparks' Rickea Jackson is finding her place in the league. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There isn’t much for Sparks fans to be excited about this season. No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June, and L.A. is 7-24. But Jackson has been a bright spot and someone whom Sparks fans will likely be watching for a long time. The rookie came into the WNBA with immense potential, and she’s already proving herself to be a consistent player with a bright future.

On Wednesday, she helped L.A. upset the first-place Liberty, 94-88, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the 3-point line for 19 total points.

That’s just the latest in a string of impressive games from Jackson. In her team’s 13 games since the Olympic break, Jackson has scored in single digits just once and recorded a career-high 25 points against Dallas on Aug. 25.

The Liberty signed Sherrod to a training camp deal in April after the Colorado guard went undrafted. Sherrod didn’t make the opening day roster, but she clearly impressed the Liberty. They brought her in for a string of 7-day contracts before making things official Aug. 24 with a contract for the rest of the season.

The Sky are currently fighting for the final WNBA playoff spot, with a one-game lead over the Atlanta Dream. It’s been an up-and-down season for Chicago, but a large amount of the team’s success can be credited to its rookies. Reese has made headlines for her double-doubles, but Cardoso is proving herself to be just as important to what the Sky are building.

The South Carolina alum posted a career-high 18 points on Aug. 23 in a loss to Connecticut and followed that up with perhaps her best performance to date. The Sky lost to Las Vegas, 77-75, on Sunday, but Cardoso did her part, with eight points and 12 rebounds. She also had five blocks in a battle against fellow Gamecock and MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson.

Advertisement