MONICA McNutt has divided fans with a controversial pick for WNBA Rookie of the Year.
The ESPN analyst appeared on Friday’s edition of Get Up to debate Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for the award.
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Clark arrived in the WNBA amid a media frenzy after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever.
The 22-year-old has lived up to the hype and is currently averaging 16 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds.
Reese, who plays for the Chicago Sky, has improved his performance in recent weeks and recorded 12 consecutive double-doubles.
McNutt was asked which rookie she believed was the favorite for the prestigious gong.
And her method of deciding between Clark and Reese divided WNBA fans.
“My Rookie of the Year will be based on standings,” McNutt argued.
“That’s how you have the opportunity to measure impact.
“And the [Chicago] Sky are now in the playoffs.
“Then you’d have to mentally nod to Angel Reese.”
McNutt praised Reese for his double-double run, but added that Clark was “incredibly impressive.”
The former college basketball star also highlighted that Clark is playing alongside last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Aliyah Boston.
“This race is a lot closer than some people think,” she concluded.
“It should be about basketball and its game,” argued an ESPN on X viewer.
“This is absolutely insane logic. The Sky have a half-game lead over the Fever for one. For two, the Fever were literally the worst team in the league last year. For three, Angel Reese is not half as good as a basketball player Caitlin Clark is,” argued another.
“This is exactly how people treat Mike Trout [in MLB]. Clark is the MVP. It doesn’t matter the classification,” said a third.
‘We need male allies to grow’
By Isabelle Barker, sports reporter for The Sun
I remember covering the Women’s European Football Championship in 2022 and when England reached the final, the media landscape changed completely.
What was once a press room packed with reporters was soon replaced by senior male journalists.
It was great to see the media recognize the impact women’s football could have on England, but it felt like they were sending the big guys to show us how it was done.
and where are they now? There is still a big gap between men’s and women’s football. Nike didn’t even bother putting the Mary Earps jersey on sale after the last Women’s World Cup.
It’s great to see male reporters excited about women’s sports, but please stay excited year-round.
Don’t just show up when it’s convenient at a big tournament or when a star like Caitlin Clark is attracting attention.
Make sure you try to consistently cover women’s sport and promote it, because we need male allies to grow.
Ryan Clark is right when he says we need to give a platform and shout out to the reporters who paved the way when no one cared.
“They just don’t want Clark to win. Clark’s schedule is also more difficult,” a fourth added.
“So by that logic, A’ja Wilson, the best player in the league, wouldn’t win the MVP because the Aces are currently 5th in the standings?” complained a fifth.
Neither the Sky nor the Fever have had winning seasons thus far, despite excellent performances from Reese and Clark.
The Sky are currently 8-11 after an 88-84 win over the Seattle Storm on Friday.
Reese scored 28 points and added 10 rebounds to continue his double-double streak.
While Clark and the Fever are 8-15 and face the New York Liberty on Saturday night.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
