Angel Reese and Cameron Brink are each having historical rookie seasons. Will either player win the rookie of the year award? With all the talent among the 2024 rookie class, it’ll be a close race. Both Brink and Reese have shown they’re ready for the big stage, and could potentially break some records before the season ends. Being a rookie in the WNBA is no easy task, but the Bayou Barbie and Killa Cam are ready for the challenge.
Brink and Reese Have Shown They’re Ready
While everyone is busy talking about Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink have quickly carved out roles on their respective teams. Reese and the Chicago Sky (3-3) are currently 7th in the league standings. Brink and the Los Angeles Sparks (2-5) are in 10th place, but the season is young and both teams have plenty of time to improve. Anyone who follows the league can tell you it’s highly competitive and any team can win on any given night.
Bayou Barbie Ballin’
Reese has displayed an outstanding ability for grabbing offensive rebounds. She is currently leading the league in offensive rebounding percentage with 16.3%. On top of that, Reese has kept her composure despite veteran players disrespecting her.
That kind of maturity in a rookie holds a lot of value. The former LSU Tiger is sure to encounter more obstacles throughout her career, but she’s no stranger to adversity.
Everyone remembers Reese’s celebration against Iowa in the 2022-23 National Championship. She has undeservedly been painted as a villain by certain fans. It didn’t help that Reese’s college coach at LSU, Kim Mulkey, was critiqued in the Washington Post in what Mulkey called a “hit piece”. Regardless, Ángel Reese has proven she can handle the spotlight and doesn’t seemed concerned with the outside noise.
Cam Brink Block Party
Brink has been stellar on the boards as well, as she is 2nd among all rookies in rebounding with 5.4 per game. However, her defensive prowess is on another level. She is currently 2nd in block percentage among all WNBA players, at 9.3%. Also, she is 2nd in blocks per game with 2.7. It would be hard to break the late Margo Dyrdek’s rookie record of 3.8 blocks per game, but crazier things have happened. In case anyone still doubted Brink’s shot blocking ability, she put that to rest with a game-winning block against the Mystics.
Brink has an acute awareness on defense that’s hard to find in first-year pros. The former Stanford Cardinal is a serious problem for opposing offenses in the paint, and she’s just getting started.
Loaded Rookie Class Provides Fierce Competition
Dyaisha Fair, who is 3rd all-time for career scoring in NCAA women’s basketball, has been cut by the Las Vegas Aces one day after her playing debut. Rookies like Washington Mystic’s Aaliyah Edwards have struggled to get consistent minutes, even though Edwards was a star in college at UCONN. Getting playing time in the WNBA is hard, plain and simple. Limited roster spots and a large player talent pool filled with hungry vets don’t do the rooks any favors. That makes Reese’s and Brink’s seamless transition to the big leagues all the more impressive.
