We have now reached the midway point of the WNBA season. All of the WNBA teams have now played 20 or more games of the regular season and the WNBA only has 40 games in their regular season schedule. Last week, both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue to set records in their rookie season. These two rookies continue to shine and play well and now it’s time to recap how all the other rookies have performed at the midway point in the WNBA season.
This recap will be a bit different compared to the weekly rookie watches I compile. It will have all of the the top 5 rookies who have played well at the midway point of the WNBA season and then honourable mention to the rookies who have played well despite recieving limited minutes because as I have mentioned throughout the weekly rookie recaps is that the WNBA only has 12 teams this season. There are very talented veterans and superstars. A rookie on an elite or good team will recieve limited playing time. It is hard to beat out veterans who have worked hard for many years to recieve their playing spot and or minutes. Rookies have to earn their playing time. Only a few talented rookies get the playing time or oppurtunity. Those usually are the rookies on mediocre teams or teams that are lottery bound.
It is now time to recap the eighth week of WNBA Rookies Watch. You can read the previous week here.
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WNBA Rookies Watch – Checking up on the rookies at the midway point of the WNBA regular season
This is a very talented 2024 WNBA draft class. This class will be remembered for bringing more coverage and fans to the WNBA. It is now time to see which rookies have played well at the midway point of the WNBA season. The top 5 are listed below as well as a description of how they have managed to play on their respective teams and then the honourable mentions will be below that.
*Please note: This recap is for the first half of the season and so therefore, it will be games played up until July 9th, 2024*
- Angel Reese – Forward, Chicago Sky
Angel Reese has come into the WNBA and has been able to find herself and adjust really quickly with the Chicago Sky. The seventh pick in the WNBA draft set a league record for most consecutive double-doubles in a season with 13, breaking Candace Parker’s record of 12 that she set back in 2009/2010. She has earned the #1 spot for the top rookie at the midway point of the WNBA season because she has been consistent. She has tried to help her team as much as she can as she is currently #1 in rebounds per game with 11.9. She is currently averaging 14.1 points per game and shooting 41.8% from the floor and 42.4% from 2-point percentage. If we break it down even further, per 40 minutes, she gets to the free throw line of an average of 6.9 attempts per game and that is currently 7th among WNBA players. She makes an average of 5.2 free throws per game which is currently 8th among WNBA players. She shoots 75.2% from the free throw line. She averages about 31.5 minutes per game and her team currently sits in the 8th spot and are among the playoff teams. Her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 19.6 which is currently 18th among WNBA players, meaning she is highly efficient and makes the most out of her minutes when on the floor.
2. Caitlin Clark – Guard, Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA with a ton of pressure and expectations placed on her and so far at the midway point of the WNBA regular season, she seems to be able to handle them as best as she can. As the number one pick in the WNBA draft, it can be difficult to adjust and or handle pressure and for teams that were bad the previous year, they are trying to either to rebuild, find their superstar or replace their superstars and for the Fever, they’re trying to rebuild with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. So far, they’ve been doing a much better job. The Fever are currently ranked 7th in the WNBA standings and are among the playoff teams. Clark is currently averaging 16.1 points per game and is 2nd in the league in assists per game with 7.4. She’s shooting 39.3% from the floor and 51.1% from 2-point percentage. She averages 6.0 rebounds per game and shoots 88.8% from the free throw line. While there can be a debate of why she could be the #1 rookie over Angel Reese, it’s the turnovers and high usage rate that bring her down to the second spot. If she fixes that, then she will definitely be in the running for the top rookie in my weekly WNBA Rookies Watch posts.
3. Rickea Jackson – Forward, LA Sparks
Rickea Jackson was selected as the fourth overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft and it was for good reason. Initially, she wasn’t given the proper minutes earlier in the season while Cameron Brink was so it was a rough start. However as the season progressed, she started to recieve more playing time and is playing really well. She averages about 25.4 minutes per game and in those minutes, she’s averaging 10.7 points per game. She shoots 44.9% from the field and in 2-point percentage, she shoots 48.6%. She also shoots 75% from the free throw line. What’s impressive about Rickea Jackson is that despite the LA Sparks being one of the lottery bound teams, she tries her best to help out her team and to help out Dearica Hamby, the star of the team. She needs to work on her rebounding and her three point shooting as she only averages 3.6 rebounds per game and shoots 34.6% from three.
4. Aaliyah Edwards – Forward, Washington Mystics
Aaliyah Edwards has been terrific so far in her rookie season. She earns the fourth spot in the WNBA Rookies Watch at the midway point of the WNBA season because of her ability to try her best when she’s on the floor for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics are currently 11th in the current WNBA standings and headed to the lottery at the midway point of the WNBA regular season. That is not Aaliyah Edwards fault. She also missed 3 games due to a back injury. The Mystics have lost close games and are currently trying to rebuild and looking to find their new star or superstar to lead the team. Edwards currently averages 23.1 minutes per game and in those minutes, she averages 8.6 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and shoots 48.4% from the field. In 2-point percentage, she shoots 50%. She needs to work on her free throw shooting skills as she is currently shooting 68.4%.
5. Kamilla Cardoso – Center, Chicago Sky
Kamilla Cardoso hasn’t had the easiest transition into the WNBA as a rookie but she’s slowly learning and getting better. She’s proving her worth and was chosen as a high draft pick (third overall) in the WNBA draft because of her defense and her rebounding skills. So far, she’s impressive in terms of rebounding as she is currently averaging 7.8 rebounds per game in 25.4 minutes per game. She is currently averaging 8.2 points per game and is shooting 44.3% from the field and in 2-point percentage. What is impressive is that she is also averaging 1.2 blocks per game which is currently 12th among WNBA players. In terms of advanced stats, her offensive rebounding rate is 14.9% which is second in the league and her total rebounding rate is 17.4% which is 10th overall. That is very good. She, like Aaliyah Edwards needs to work on her free throw shooting skills as she is currently averaging 60%.
Honourable mention
Julie Vanloo – Guard, Washington Mystics
Julie Vanloo was an undrafted rookie who has started to prove herself in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics. She is currently averaging 7.9 points per game and 5.1 assists per game which is 10th overall among WNBA players. She does this while only averaging 24.6 minutes per game. In terms of advanced stats, her assists per 40 minutes are 8.3 which is 4th overall. Now, that is impressive. She does need to work on her shooting numbers as they are all below 40% and like Caitlin Clark, needs to work on her turnovers as she averages 3.3 per game.
Cameron Brink – Forward, LA Sparks
Cameron Brink was having a solid start in her WNBA season as a rookie but suffered a torn ACL just 15 games into the season. It would be wrong to leave her out at the midway point of the WNBA season because she was playing well alongside Rickea Jackson. She averaged 7.5 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game which is 3rd overall among WNBA players. She did this while averaging just 22 minutes per game. She shot 84% from the free throw line. In terms of advanced stats, she had 4.2 blocks per 40 minutes which is 1st overall. She was an elite defender and like Kamilla Cardoso, was terrific in blocking shots.
Sevgi Uzun – Guard, Dallas Wings
Sevgi Uzun is an undrafted rookie for the Dallas Wings and has played well. Despite only averaging 26.6 minutes per game, she is currently averaging 6.0 points per game and 4.0 assists per game which is 17th overall among WNBA players. She is also averaging 1.2 steals per game and shooting 44.2% from 2-point percentage. In terms of advanced stats, per 40 minutes she has 5.9 which is 19th overall. She, like Jacy Sheldon and Julie Vanloo needs to work on her shooting skills as she is shooting 35.9% from the field and 23.7% from three.
Jacy Sheldon – Forward, Dallas Wings
Jacy Sheldon did not recieve enough playing time in the beginning of her rookie season with the Dallas Wings but as the season progressed, she was able to recieve more minutes and start to prove her worth as she was drafted fifth overall in the WNBA draft. She is currently averaging 5.1 points per game in just under 19.9 minutes per game. She is currently shooting 40.6% from the floor and 43.6% in 2-point percentage. The Dallas Wings are currently lottery bound as they sit in last place in the WNBA standings and so therefore Jacy Sheldon will probably recieve more playing time. She needs to work on her three point shooting as she is only averaging 37.3%.
This concludes the WNBA Rookies Watch for this week. Come back next week for an all-new edition of WNBA Rookies Watch as they are weekly and go live every Wednesday.