Lisa Leslie calls Mabrey a “game changer” for the WNBA

The WNBA announced Thursday that Indiana guard Caitlin Clark is the 2024 Rookie of the Year, giving the Fever back-to-back ROTYs following Aliyah Boston's victory in 2023.

Almost like Boston's unanimous election, Clark received 66 of the 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, whose season was cut short due to a wrist injury, received the remaining first spot.

“I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone who supported me this past season – my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone who supported us “We've been cheering you on all season long,” Clark said in the Fever's statement. “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished and so excited about the future.”

Clark's rookie season is one for the record books

This year it was full throttle and no brakes for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. During the regular season, Clark led all rookies with 19.2 points per game and led the league in assists with 8.4 per game for a total of 122 Three points.

In July, the 2024 All-Star became the first rookie in WNBA history to ever achieve a triple-double. Not satisfied with that, Clark recorded a second one in early September.

She ultimately etched herself into the league's history books with several records, including single-season and single-game assists and single-season rookie scoring.

In the Fever's first .500-meter season in eight years, Clark helped Indiana to a 20-20 record after a sputtering 1-8 start to the season. As a result, the Fever made their first postseason run since 2016.

The franchise also broke viewership and attendance records, thanks in large part to Clark's popularity. Indiana's home games ultimately drew more than 90,000 more fans than the league's previous home record of 250,565, set by the Liberty in 2001.

First-year stars join Clark on the WNBA All-Rookie Team

The 2024 All-Rookie Team ​was also hired Thursday, with Clark, Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson and Leonie Fiebich all getting the nod.

Reese, Clark's biggest ROTY competitor before her season-ending injury, set records of her own in her shortened first season. The 2024 All-Star now holds the league record for consecutive double-doubles, the single-season rebounding mark, and has the WNBA's highest rebounding average in history.

Reese's Chicago teammate, center Cardoso, also posted impressive numbers in his rookie season, ultimately leading all first-year players with an impressive field goal percentage of 52.1%. Meanwhile, forward Jackson made an immediate impact on the Sparks' statistics as the team's second-leading scorer.

The Liberty's Fiebich is a WNBA rookie, but her overseas career has already earned the 24-year-old German MVP honors in the Spanish professional league. Her All-Rookie Team honors are based on Fiebich's regular-season performances, but she is still a key contributor to the WNBA's ongoing postseason run in New York.