Dave Portnoy Compares Caitlin Clark To Stephen Curry And Angel Reese To Dennis Rodman

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shaded Angel Reese by comparing her to Dennis Rodman while praising Caitlin Clark with a Steph Curry comp.

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Credit: Fadeaway World

The WNBA Rookie of the Year race is being hotly debated with the two faces of the 2024 WNBA Rookie class – Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy doesn’t understand why the two are still being debated over, with Clark sealing the ROTY in his eyes after their head-to-head matchup on Saturday where Clark’s Indiana Fever beat Reese’s Chicago Sky 110-81.

“I keep hearing people talk about the Rookie of the Year race. I thought we put this to rest this weekend when Clark went into Chicago into Angel Reese’s building, beat them by a 100, and Caitlin checked out of the game with 5 minutes left… Clark was on the sideline signing Angel Reese Barbie paraphernalia while Reese was in the game trying to scramble for a fraudulent double-double.”

Portnoy went on to compare Clark to Stephen Curry while relegating Reese to a Dennis Rodman comparison due to his rebounding and defensive ability.

“Not everyone is Steph Curry… Some people are a poor man’s, Dennis Rodman… [Angel Reese] rebounds. She does nothing else. Caitlin Clark does it all. So why do we keep comparing these two?… They’re not in the same sentence.”

I hate agreeing with Portnoy, but he is bang-on in this case. The WNBA Rookie of the Year race shouldn’t be a contest, with Clark ahead of Reese on every objective metric outside rebounding. 

Clark is averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.4 assists on 42.4% from the field and 34.1% from three. Reese cannot even come close to that offensive production, averaging 13.3 points and 13.1 rebounds on a pitiful 38.5% from the field

Reese being noticeably worse than Clark isn’t an indictment on her ability as a player, as she unquestionably is one of the best rookies the league has seen in recent years. But she is definitely not the best rookie the league has seen, with Clark comfortably ahead of her in terms of both production and winning impact this season.

This ROTY debate has started to factor in a lot of non-basketball elements, with the races of both players constantly coming up between the fanbases, something which has been going on since their NCAA battles where Reese’s LSU defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes to win the 2023 NCAA title. 

Reese will likely shatter a lot more rookie rebounding records before the season ends, just like how Clark will shatter scoring and assists records. They’re both phenomenal players and will be the faces of the league in the coming years if they haven’t already been elevated to that level. 

It shouldn’t be controversial to recognize Clark as the better player this season and wholly deserving of Rookie of the Year. Reese will get better offensively as the seasons pass on, but clearly stat-padding for double-doubles while shooting under 40% as a post player shouldn’t be what earns her the ROTY award.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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