With the Olympics kicking off this week, the WNBA is on vacation through August 14.
But with the W on hiatus, there’s no better time to take stock of how some of the league’s best rookies have performed so far.
Freshmen players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have adapted almost seamlessly and have been named All-Stars, while others have delivered impressive performances.
With the WNBA regular season now just over halfway through, here’s how six notable rookies have fared, according to Mail Sport.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Clark was selected first overall after a record-breaking college career at Iowa and has quickly developed into one of the top professional players.
The 22-year-old ranks 13th in the league with 17.1 points per game – the best mark among rookies – and equally notable is his assist share of the W, at 8.2 per game.
Caitlin Clark has had a very impressive start in the WNBA with the Fever
Clark has immediately taken a leading role in the Fever’s offense and with her help the team has achieved an 11-15 record after a 2-9 start.
If we had to make one small point of criticism, it would be that Clark doesn’t exactly deliver her impressive numbers efficiently.
She averages 5.6 turnovers per game and shoots just 32.7 percent of her three-pointers on more than eight attempts per game, yet her overall field goal percentage has improved every month of the season.
Like any newcomer, Clark still has some room for improvement, but her starting point is much, much higher than most.
Class A-
Angel Reese, Chicago Heaven
Like Clark, Reese has been in the spotlight in the W competition and has done well so far.
The Chicago Sky forward is a powerhouse on the boards, tying the WNBA record for double-doubles with 15 and leading the league in rebounds per game with 11.9.
Notably, she was also the leading rebounder when the WNBA All-Stars took on (and won) the U.S. Olympic team.
Angel Reese set a WNBA record with 15 consecutive double-doubles for the Chicago Sky
Despite averaging 13.5 points per game, Reese lacks the hoop feel for someone her size.
She makes just 40.2 percent of her field goals, while spending most of her time around the rim.
However, she has shown that she can make a difference in defence and so far it has been a positive start.
Grade: B+
Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks
Jackson is the third-leading scorer (11.4 points per game) among rookies and has been a consistent starter for the Sparks after they selected her fourth overall.
She is also more efficient than Clark and Reese, making an impressive 45.0 percent of her field goals to begin her professional career.
Still, the Sparks have a dismal 6-18 record, and the team is ranked 10th in the league according to statistics from Basketball Reference.
Jackson is already a good scorer, but it’s not unreasonable to wonder if she’s a winning player at this point.
Grade: a strong B
Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky
Cardoso is sort of a Reese-lite on the same team as the former LSU star, at least statistically speaking.
The Brazilian-born center is averaging 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, despite missing six of 24 games due to a shoulder injury.
She also averages 1.1 blocks per night as an anchor for a Chicago team (10-14) that is currently just in the playoffs.
Kamilla Cardoso flirted with a double-double every night while playing with Reese
While she shoots more efficiently than Reese (46.2 percent from the field), she’s also less involved in the game, shooting just over seven times a night.
In addition, she scored single digits in more than half of her matches.
Cardoso has shown promising performances, but the next step is to expand her attacking game.
Grade B
Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics
Edwards isn’t a regular starter for the Mystics every night, but she’s still averaging 22.4 minutes per game and making an impression.
Only Clark, Reese and Jackson are scoring more than them as rookies, as Edwards is averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds on 49 percent shooting percentage.
She also added 1.5 ‘stocks’ (steals and blocks combined) per night.
At the same time, the Mystics (who are even worse than the Sparks at 6-19) outscored the Sparks by 7.1 points without her on the court in more than 100 possessions.
Edwards has done some nice things, but we’d like to see more of him.
Grade B-
Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks
It’s difficult to give Brink a fair grade, as she only played 15 games before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament.
On the other hand, that’s only three fewer than Cardoso, and she’s still worth mentioning as a second choice.
Before her injury, Brink had proven that she could score well and not score many goals.
Cameron Brink showed a lot of potential on defense before her season was cut short
Her 2.3 blocks per game were by far the most in the league, despite scoring just 7.5 points on a shooting percentage of less than 40 percent.
On the other hand, she did show that she has a talent as an outside shooter, making 32.3 percent of her three-pointers (not bad for a post player) and 84 percent of her free throws.
Brink’s debut season sample size is – and will remain – small, but her defensive skills are certainly something to build on.
Grade B-