WNBA Awards Watch: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese vying for Rookie of the Year

The WNBA is close to its halfway point in the season and will resume play on August 15 after the Olympics have concluded. The break provides an excellent opportunity to assess midseason awards and who is standing out so far in the 2024 season. Some awards, like MVP, are clear-cut, but the majority are contested races to watch closely in the second half of the season.

Predicting the 2024 WNBA awards

MVP: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

A'ja Wilson's MVP is currently the easiest award to pick; this would be her third MVP trophy. Wilson is putting up unprecedented numbers even by her standards, averaging 27.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game on efficient 53/39/87 shooting splits.

Wilson is due for a bit of regression at some point this season, as she currently has career highs in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and three-point percentage. But Wilson is so far in front of everyone else that, even with some regression, she could be a unanimous MVP, or at the very least, close to it.

Rookie of the Year: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Earlier in the season, the ROY race was more of a toss-up between Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese. However, it has drastically shifted in Clark's favor with her elite play as of late. She even broke the record for assists in a game, recording 19 against the Dallas Wings. Many expected a breakout to happen at some point in her rookie season, given her level of success at Iowa. The ROY award is now Clark's to lose.

Defensive Player of the Year: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

After the MVP and ROY, the awards get more complicated. Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor, arguably the biggest All-Star snub, has an excellent case for Defensive Player of the Year as one of the best rim protectors in the WNBA. But Wilson gets the slight nod so far this season; she's leading the league in blocks per game (2.9), rebounds per game (12.0), and is tied for fourth in steals per game (1.9). If Wilson were to win, it would be her third consecutive DPOY award.

Sixth Player of the Year: Sophie Cunningham, Phoenix Mercury

If the season ended today, the pick would be Chennedy Carter. However, she may not be eligible if she stays in the Chicago Sky's starting lineup for the second half of the season. Several other options are here, including Aces' Tiffany Hayes and Fever's Temi Fagbenle. But as of now, Sophie Cunningham gets the edge, with her shooting ability as the tiebreaker.

Cunningham started in all 31 games she played in 2023 but only eight of 24 games in 2024. In those 24 games, she's averaged 7.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals on 43/38/84 shooting splits, providing the Mercury with an offensive spark off the bench.

Most Improved Player: Chennedy Carter, Chicago Sky

Although Carter may be ineligible for Sixth Player of the Year by the season's end, another award she is making a solid case for is Most Improved Player. Carter is a unique consideration for MIP after not playing in the 2023 season. She also was highly productive her first two seasons in the league, so this one may come down to what exactly the award criteria are based on. If the voting committee looks at her 2022 to 2024 leap, then Carter has an excellent case to make.

In 2022 with the Sparks, Carter averaged 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.6 steals on 45/20/75 shooting splits. So far in 2024, with the Sky, Carter improved to 16.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals on 51/23/74 shooting splits. Carter finally has found a great landing spot in Chicago and could even further improve these numbers if she remains in the starting lineup.

Another option is Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist. She broke her finger on June 19 and has only played 13 games so far this year. It will be challenging for Siegrist to catch up in the second half of the season, but not entirely out of the question.

Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

Cheryl Reeve is coaching the U.S. women's basketball team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It seems like the right choice if the job she's done with the Minnesota Lynx is any indication. After finishing 2023 with a 19-21 record, Reeve has turned this Minnesota team around in 2024, as they currently have a 17-8 record. Their team identity is on the defensive end as the No. 1 defensive rating team in the WNBA (93.7). The Lynx have a versatile, switchable team, and Reeve has done a great job of playing to that strength.