“10/10 rage bait!” – Angel Reese above Caitlin Clark in ESPN’s updated ROTY rankings has fans losing their minds

ESPN's updated WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings has Sky rookie Angel Reese still leading over Fever star Caitlin Clark.

“10/10 rage bait!” – Angel Reese above Caitlin Clark in ESPN’s updated ROTY rankings has fans losing their minds

WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings has Angel Reese leading Fever Caitlin Clark as per ESPN

It has been a long time since the Rookie of the Year race in either of the two major basketball leagues has been this close. Not only are Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese playing elite basketball, but they are also setting new records in the WNBA on the go. The last time, Reese’s double-doubles and playoff position were the deciding factors in ESPN’s rankings. But since then, it has been the Fever rookie who has upped the ant.

With less than a month remaining for the regular season to end, it was time for ESPN to drop an updated list. Their updated list still ranks the Chicago Sky rookie at the top. Fans, on the other hand, found it dumbfounding. As it is clear with the way Caitlin Clark has been playing she should be the favorite in the Rookie of the Year race. However, ESPN had some advanced metrics to show why Reese still heads the board.

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They suggested that the Sky is worse when Angel Reese sits on the bench. Those +/- metrics give her a slight edge. However, those metrics do not show that the Sky has been at 1-6 since the second part of the WNBA season resumed. Add to that Reese has been shooting worse than what she did before the break.

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ESPN also suggested that the Indiana Fever have an easier schedule than the Sky. However, that does not explain how Reese and the Sky lost both games against the Phoenix Mercury. The same team who were swept by Caitlin Clark and the Fever, along with wins against other championship-contending teams in the same stretch.

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Fans cannot believe the rankings having Angel Reese above Caitlin Clark

Basketball fans feel these updated rankings use too many metrics to discredit Caitlin Clark. They feel that despite the Indiana Fever’s wins against top teams, the metrics are purposefully showing Angel Reese up top. All in a bid to draw fans to talk about it. Fans feel the network and its employees are trying their best to feed off the narrative on these WNBA rookies and their rivalry.

As soon as the rankings were released, fans took to social media to show their frustrations. Check out some of those examples below;

The rankings acknowledge that the trend is shifting towards the Indiana Fever rookie, and she most probably will end up winning the award. With the way the Chicago Sky are playing, the game tomorrow against the Fever will probably put this discussion to rest.

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