Reese has already become one of the league’s best rebounders

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The 2024 WNBA season is still young, but there has already been a lot to talk about. Despite the Indiana Fever playing a brutal schedule thus far, Caitlin Clark registered her first 30-point game and earned the top spot in CBS Sports’ WNBA Rookie Rankings for the second consecutive week.

While Clark’s performance in Sunday’s 104-68 loss to the New York Liberty was rough, we’re attributing that partly to fatigue as Indiana has played 11 games in 20 days.

The spotlight has been on Clark since Day 1, but another rookie who emerged this past week was Minnesota Lynx forward Alissa Pili. She has not gotten a lot of playing time this season, but Pili made a statement with 20 points in 15 minutes off the bench in Friday’s 95-71 win over the Mercury.

Although she didn’t make the list this week, Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso deserves a shoutout after finally making her debut on June 1. She was South Carolina’s not-so-secret weapon in the paint, and her skills will help the Sky significantly this season. In her WNBA debut, Cardoso tallied 11 points and six rebounds in a 71-70 loss to the Fever.

Here are the latest WNBA Rookie Rankings:

1. Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark

Clark had a career-low three points on 1-for-10 from the field against the Liberty on Sunday. However, her stats in the three other Fever games this past week were significantly better — aside from her turnovers. The former Iowa star registered a career-high 30 points in Indiana’s 88-82 loss to the Sparks last Tuesday, and she added 20 points and nine assists against the Storm two days later.

Clark is second in the league in 3-pointers made with 27, just four behind Mercury guard Diana Taurasi. Clark is also in the top five in assists per game with 6.4 per contest. Every rookie has room for improvement, but it has been impressive to see Clark carry her offense without much rest early in the season.

 

2. Angel Reese

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Despite her struggles finishing around the rim, Reese’s contributions in other areas has been visible and impactful. The Sky are 3-4 so far, and Reese has the highest win shares among all the rookies on this list.

Reese only went 2-for-9 from the field in the Sky’s 71-70 loss to the Fever on Saturday, but she still tallied eight points along with a career-high 13 rebounds. She needs to get more efficient with her scoring, but the rookie is already one of the top rebounders in the league and leads the WNBA in offensive rebounds with five per contest.

3. Rickea Jackson

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Jackson has cracked the Sparks’ starting lineup and is becoming a significant contributor for the team. Sunday against the Mercury, Jackson went only 3-for-10 from the field, but she still flirted with a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds.

Jackson can score at all three levels, doesn’t turn the ball over often and stays out of foul trouble. She has a been an efficient player most games while averaging less than seven field goal attempts per contest. While this is still very much Dearica Hamby’s team, the Sparks will become more dangerous as Jackson and Cameron Brink continue to develop.

4. Cameron Brink

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Brink’s foul trouble continues as she’s totaled 12 personal fouls in the last three games. Offense was also an issue for Brink this past week as she made only six field goals while coughing up nine turnovers. Despite those struggles, Brink has still been one of the most impressive defensive players in the league. She recorded 19 blocks in May, the most ever by a player in their first month in the WNBA.

Brink is averaging 2.6 blocks per game this season, which puts her just behind Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor and Aces forward A’ja Wilson for the league lead.

5. Alissa Pili
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Pili played 15 minutes in the Lynx 95-71 win over the Mercury on Friday, a season-high for the former Utah star. She made the most out of the opportunity by registering 20 points on an impressive 7-for-9 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. She also added four rebounds and two assists with zero turnovers and just two personal fouls. Pili might be earning herself more minutes and a bigger role in the near future.

“I felt good,” Pili said after Friday’s game. “We huddle up before every game and all of us just kind of have that mindset of always stay ready when your name gets called.”