Sheryl Swoopes has been criticized by some WNBA fans unfoundedly claiming she denied Caitlin Clark from being the unanimous Rookie of the Year after claiming 66 out of the 67 votes.
Caitlin Clark was denied the unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year, with one vote going to Angel Reese, which some fans believe was cast by legend Sheryl Swoopes.
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa to the Indiana Fever, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while also undeniably bringing more eyes to the sport and record attendances. The 22-year-old also helped fire the Fever to the postseason, where they fell in the first round to the Connecticut Sun.
Clark recorded the first two triple-doubles by a rookie in WNBA history, set a league single-game record with 19 assists, and became the first rookie to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in a game, which saw her collect 66 out of 67 votes for the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
Clark’s longtime rival, Reese, collected the other vote after a standout season, after setting a WNBA rebound record with 446, surpassing the previous record of 404 set by Sylvia Fowles in 2018. The 22-year-old Chicago Sky ace also recorded 15 consecutive double-doubles, the most ever by a WNBA player, as well as the most double-doubles by a rookie.
Some WNBA fans believe the vote was cast by a legend of the sport, Swoopes, who has previously seemingly criticized Clark by claiming her NCAA D1 scoring record “wasn’t legitimate” and that she takes “about 40 shots a game”. Swoopes was also a recent guest on Reese’s podcast.
“We all know that ‘1’ was Sheryl Swoopes,” one fan claimed on X, despite not knowing whether Swoopes can cast a vote. “Sheryl Swoopes you are not fooling anyone. Haters gonna hate and jealousy does not look good in anyone. Grow up already,” another boldly tweeted.
Others have leaped to Swoopes’ defense over claims made by some fans. “My God, Sheryl Swoopes lives rent-free in so many of these people’s heads,” one said. An LSU fan tweeted: “They’re dragging Sheryl Swoopes and I’m not even sure she was one of the 67 people that had a vote.”
Nonetheless, Clark has expressed her joy at receiving the honor. “I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season — my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season. I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds,” Clark said in a statement.
Clark has also claimed there’s more to come from herself and her Fever teammates. “The fun part is I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” she said after the Game 2 loss to the Sun.
“I know I want to help this franchise get even better, help my teammates get even better, be better for my teammates. I know there’s a lot of room for me to continue to improve, so that’s what excites me the most.”
