With two weeks left in the regular season, ​former WNBA greats​ and fans alike are weighing in on this year's historic Rookie of the Year race.

"I don't care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year award," basketball legend Lisa Leslie posted this week. "The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations. Take a bow, ladies."

Rookies continue shattering league records

While only one player can win the award, both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have undoubtedly left their marks on the season.

Clark leads all rookies in scoring at 18.7 points per game​, while her 8.4 assists per game​ tops the entire WNBA. Even more, she's on pace to surpass​ Seimone Augustus's rookie scoring record, and has already broken the record for most three-pointers in a rookie season while leading the league in three-pointers made.

For her part, Reese recently shattered Sylvia Fowles's single-season rebounding record and leads the league in rebounds per game. Plus, she holds the longest consecutive double-double streak in WNBA history, averaging 13.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.

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Field goal percentage favors Clark

Despite the neck-and-neck competition, Clark does hold one major statistical advantage over Reese. Clark's field goal percentage​ sits at 42.4% while Reese's is 38.5% — a significant gap considering Reese makes most of her attempts close to the basket.

That same stat arguably makes Sparks guard Rickea Jackson a dark horse in this race: Shooting 46.6% from the field, she's currently the WNBA's most efficient rookie averaging over 10 points per game.

All to say, while Clark​ appears to be pulling away as the ROY frontrunner, the way this year's rookie class has performed in the face of huge expectations will impact the league far beyond 2024.

On Wednesday morning, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the WNBA would be adding a 15th team to its roster, with the league awarding Portland, Oregon its own expansion franchise.

Portland joins Golden State and Toronto as the latest WNBA additions, as the league capitalizes on this season's surging popularity. Golden State will begin play next season, with Toronto and Portland set to tip off in 2026.

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The Rose City was an obvious choice to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who said, "Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans."

Notably, this is not Portland's first WNBA team. The city originally boasted the Fire, which competed for three seasons before folding in 2002.

The expansion team will be primarily owned by the Bhathal family, who also recently purchased the NWSL's Portland Thorns.

A'ja Wilson adds WNBA rebound record to 2024 stats

Aces superstar A'ja Wilson added yet another feat to her 2024 WNBA MVP campaign on Tuesday, breaking sidelined Chicago rookie Angel Reese's single-season rebounds record in Las Vegas's 85-72 win over Seattle.

Wilson, who didn't know she'd claimed the record until asked about it in the post-game press conference, reacted with nonchalance. "That's cool," she told reporters. "I don't hunt rebounds, so it's not something that's always on my mind... I'm focused on putting the ball in the hoop."

Her explanation had head coach Becky Hammon visibly rolling her eyes, saying she's had to remind Wilson that "the other half of [her] job is to freaking rebound."

Ultimately, Wilson acknowledged that the record is "a blessing," saying "this league is tough, so if my name can be in the record books in some sort of way, it's a blessing."

Rebound record is Wilson's third WNBA feat in one week

Wilson's written her name in the WNBA record books three times in the last six days. Her latest rebound accomplishment comes just two days after Wilson became the first-ever WNBA player to score 1,000+ points in one season, and less than one week after she shattered the league's single-season scoring record.

Tuesday's win also handed the defending back-to-back champion Aces at least the fourth playoff seed. That top-four spot secures them home court advantage for their first postseason round.

On Monday, Gotham FC beat Seattle 2-0, snapping the Reign's seven-game NWSL unbeaten streak behind goals from midfielder Delanie Sheehan and striker Esther González.

The road win saw Gotham leapfrog Kansas City to claim third place in the standings — prime positioning as NY/NJ stares down a second-straight NWSL championship​.

Seattle, on the other hand, sits in 11th place with only six matches left. The Reign will need to rack up as many wins as possible to keep their postseason dreams alive.

Rodman ups the celly game in the NWSL

In lighter NWSL news, Washington star Trinity Rodman hit her second NBA-inspired celly of the season on Sunday.

After launching a rocket to secure the Spirit's 3-0 win over Houston, Rodman dropped to the pitch, curled up, closed her eyes, and laid her head on her hands in a nod to Steph Curry's signature "night, night" action.

The move followed last week's slam dunk celly. After netting an equalizer, Rodman leapt into the air while sprinting toward new Spirit investor and NBA legend, Magic Johnson.

LaBonta's NWSL cellies give Rodman stiff competition

While iconic celebrations have become part of the NWSL's DNA, Rodman’s main competitor in this season's top celly race is Kansas City’s Lo’eau LaBonta.

The midfielder’s 2024 highlights include mirroring gymnast Simone Biles’s Olympic floor routine, using the ball as a baby bump, and recreating the signature lift from Dirty Dancing.

Set to debut in 2025, WNBA expansion team the Golden State Valkyries are already off to the record-breaking races. On Friday, the league's 13th franchise became the first pro women’s sports team in history to collect more than 17,000 season-ticket deposits​.

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That record means the Valkyries — who notably don’t have a single player yet — could join the Indiana Fever next season as the only WNBA teams to average over 17,000 fans per home game.

Golden State drops renderings of new Valkyries facilities

The Valkyries also turned heads by releasing plans for their state-of-the-art team facilities last week. 

The 6,800-square-foot V-shaped locker room at San Francisco’s Chase Center will feature hot and cold tubs, a training room, staff offices, and a lounge and dining area for players.

Meanwhile, the team's Oakland training center boasts 31,800 square feet of developmental space, including two full courts, 17 total hoops, hot and cold pools, a training room, weight room, locker room, player lounge, and separate family lounge.

Franchise general manager Ohemaa Nyanin commented in the team's statement that “The investment that Golden State has made into both [facilities] underscores this organization’s commitment to excellence. Connecting both sides of the Bay with elite facilities will set the tone for our athletes, coaching staff and medical teams, as we build a roster that will compete for championships.”

Construction is already underway, with both locations set to open by next season.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a snapshot look at the NWSL, where sometimes single games can tell you a whole lot more about a team than just the final score.

She goes on to chat about unbeaten streak-masters Orlando and Kansas City’s special success, Portland’s ongoing troubles, and which NWSL players — like the Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman — lit up this week's highlight reel.

Pivoting to the basketball court, Claire talks through remarkable WNBA performances, why the expanded season is a good thing, and the Washington Mystics' late-season upswing.

Claire then rounds things out by responding to a few listener comments about volleyball, before sharing how she was hoodwinked by the U-20 USWNT last Tuesday.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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