Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have both put up outstanding numbers this season. When a pair of rookies rise to fame this rapidly, there will always be skeptics.

Some fans have accused Reese and Clark of stat-padding late in WNBA games to inflate their statistics. A recent article from Stephen Noh of The Sporting News debunks the myth of stat padding with a comprehensive breakdown.

Noh deep dives into the numbers and proves once and for all that the claims of stat-padding are simply untrue.

After revising over 2,000 possessions this season, which the rookies were both involved in, the analyst concluded that Angel Reese played just 43 possessions in garbage time. Meanwhile, Clark only played 42 possessions.

Over that stretch, Reese scored just 11 points and recorded seven rebounds. Clark, on the other hand, scored only seven points and had five assists.

Clark and Reese’s production was in line with their overall regular season numbers. Noh goes on to show that if the garbage time statistics were removed, the two players would still have almost identical averages over the season.

“The reality is that those plays happen all of the time throughout all professional leagues,” said Noh.

For the purpose of this particular study, Noh defines the term ‘garbage time’ as the last three minutes of a game where the team is winning by more than 10 points.

Angel Reese in particular has come under criticism for chasing double-doubles late in games when her team was trailing by double digits. The Chicago Sky forward held a 15-game double-double streak going into a game against the New York Liberty on July 13.

She was posting up late in the game to try and secure a basket with the score at 81-67. She finished with eight points.

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have both broken WNBA records in their rookie seasons

Team WNBA forward Angel Reese passes the ball to guard Caitlin Clark at Footprint Center. Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have hit the ground running since making the jump to the pros. Both players have been spectacular throughout the season and a case could be made for either to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Over 33 games for the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark has averaged 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and leads the WNBA in assists with 8.4 per game.

Earlier this season, the Iowa native became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, versus the New York Liberty. 11 days later, she broke the single-game assists records with 19 in a game against the Dallas Wings.

Angel Reese has etched her name into the WNBA history books as well. The 22-year-old shattered Candace Parker’s double-double streak with an incredible 15 straight.

Reese also holds the record for the most rebounds in a season after securing 19 against the Minnesota Lynx on September 1. It is an incredible feat considering she still has seven games remaining this season.