As more eyes move toward the WNBA, the rookie class is generating plenty of discussion. Caitlin Clark remains a big draw after a record-setting career at Iowa, but Cameron Brink and Angel Reese are also playing key roles on their new teams.
The group of newcomers generated plenty of hype ahead of the draft – maybe even the most ever. That led to high expectations as they arrived in the W, and it’s been an up-and-down go so far. But as the game grows, more people are talking about women’s basketball, although the conversation has taken a few turns in recent weeks.
To Brink, though, one talking point stands out above the rest.
“The most tired narrative is that the vets are against the rookies — this old-school versus new-school narrative — and the narrative that the rookies need to be perfect,” Brink told Uproxx. “I feel like Caitlin Clark has that the worst right now, but even I get that. She had three points the other night [against New York on June 2]. I had three points the other night [against Indiana on May 28].
“We’re expected to be perfect. We were drafted to high-drafting teams coming off of losing seasons, which is fine. It’s a learning process. But people expect us to be perfect, and it’s freaking exhausting. I feel like we learn how to tune it out, but still, it’s unrealistic, and it kind of just shows that people don’t know basketball.”
That narrative started when Clark was in college, and it’s ramped up a bit after some hard fouls – including one by by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, which dominated a discussion that went in multiple directions, as well.
Inside the numbers of the WNBA rookie class
The WNBA rookie class features plenty of big names, with Caitlin Clark leading the charge. She helped drive viewership at the college level as she went on to break the Division I scoring record, and that’s translating to the WNBA, as well.
On the court, it’s been an up-and-down go, but Clark still leads all rookies with 15.6 points per game this season after going No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever. As for Cameron Brink – the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks – she continues to be a force on the defensive end of the floor, ranking third in the WNBA with 2.6 blocks per game. She’s also adding 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Farther down the board, Angel Reese – who sat just behind Clark in the On3 Women’s Basketball NIL Rankings when their college careers ended – is a force on the glass, leading all WNBA rookies with 9.0 rebounds per game. She also set a Chicago Sky rookie record with eight offensive boards against the Fever, and she’s also adding 10.9 points on average.
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