As the WNBA’s historic regular season winds down with less than 10 games remaining for each, only three playoff spots are left to be filled. Five teams, led by the New York Liberty (27-6), have already secured their places. And while that demands some attention, nothing like the Rookie of the Year title debate that comes with it. The fierce competition between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark has kept spectators engaged in the race. However, according to Dave Portnoy, the race is already over!

On September 3rd, Dave Portnoy took to his official Twitter account and declared, “They are not in the same sentence.” For Portnoy, Angel Reese is merely popular for her rebounds and does little else. In contrast, Caitlin Clark excels in all aspects. “Not everyone is Steph Curry… Some people are a poor man’s Dennis Rodman,” he added. This wasn’t just about Clark or Reese.

Portnoy’s comments were a response to Lisa Leslie’s recent remarks about the Rookie of the Year race. A few hours earlier, Leslie had taken to her X account to share her view on the tough battle between the rookies. “I don’t care what comparisons you make; both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year Award,” she stated. But obviously, Portnoy wasn’t in agreement.

For the founder of Barstool Sports, last week’s Sky vs Fever game was all the answer one needed.

Caitlin Clark put up a career-high 31-point performance alongside 12 assists and 4 rebounds. In doing so, she added to the top 5 highest scores in a game by a rookie this season – all 5 in her name. It also became the first 30 point, 12 assist, and 5 3pm game in WNBA history. The Fever no.22 then received a standing ovation in the Windy City and had fans swarming for an autograph, as Portnoy mentions, on pink towels that were given out before the game.

Though missing a win for the night, Reese still managed to make her case for the evening as well. With her 10 points and 11 rebounds for the night, she recorded the most double-doubles by a rookie in WNBA history, further adding on to her 12.9 rebound average which is the highest ever in the league. The very next game, she would go on to record the most rebounds in a single season in WNBA history.

Thus, while Leslie believes both rookies stand neck and neck and deserve the title equally, Portnoy has all his bets on Clark.

But the ROTY title isn’t the only goal for Clark and Reese!

Although Clark’s main competition for Rookie of the Year is Angel Reese, she is more focused on playoff spots. “I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer,” she said at a media conference before Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Sky. Although many believe both are focused on “individual awards,” she emphasized, “Both of our teams are competing for playoff spots. That is our main focus.”

Whether or not they win the title, the debate is at its peak. Almost everyone, whether in the WNBA, NBA, or other sports, has a favorite among the two. Why wouldn’t they? Angel Reese, who leads the league with a 13.3 rebounds per game average, has set several records. Despite a loss in the final battle of the series against the Indiana Fever, Reese stands at her 24th double-double.

Clark is no slouch either. Since returning from the 2024 Olympics break, Clark has been explosive, achieving the first triple-double by a rookie and the most assists in a single game (19). She holds records for the most three-pointers and assists by a rookie. Currently, Clark averages 20.5 points and 10 assists per game, while Reese averages 13.5 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. While Clark has an edge in points and assists record-breaking, Reese’s rebounding is no easy feat. What do you think?