Angel Reese edged out Caitlin Clark by receiving one vote for WNBA Rookie of the Year.

The WNBA named Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark the 2024 Rookie of the Year, but it wasn’t a unanimous choice. Despite Clark’s record-breaking season, which included setting the WNBA’s single-season assist record and rookie scoring record, as well as becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double, only 66 out of 67 voters selected her for the award. The lone dissenting vote went to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, a longtime rival of Clark.

Reese had been a dark horse contender for the award, but her season was cut short due to wrist surgery following an injury on September 6. In contrast, Clark extended her lead in nearly every statistical category before and after Reese’s injury. Clark also led the Fever to their first playoff appearance in eight years as the team’s top scorer. Reese, on the other hand, was the third-leading scorer on a Chicago team that finished with a 13-27 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Reese’s main advantage over Clark was in rebounding, averaging 13.1 per game compared to Clark’s 5.7. However, Clark outperformed Reese in points per game (19.2 to 13.6), assists (8.4 to 1.9), and even blocks (0.7 to 0.5) despite Reese’s height advantage. Reese did set the WNBA single-season rebounding record on September 2, but MVP A’ja Wilson surpassed her total by the end of the season.

Despite the statistical gap, Reese had her supporters. Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah favored Reese for Rookie of the Year, likening her playstyle to his own. Reese also outperformed Clark in two of their four head-to-head matchups, though Clark led the Fever to win three of those games and outpaced Reese in assists each time.

Reese’s strong personality and physical style of play have garnered her a passionate following, though Clark’s fanbase is larger in terms of attendance and viewership.

Reese and Clark’s reputations, fan bases, and ongoing rivalry have been closely linked to their respective races since their notable clash in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship. During that game, Reese and LSU defeated Clark and Iowa, with Reese famously pointing to her finger in a gesture that went viral, sparking both backlash and support.

In the first episode of her podcast Unapologetically Angel, Reese reflected on the moment, calling it one that “changed her life forever.” She also accused some of Clark’s fans of racism, sharing that she received death threats and that explicit AI-generated images of her were even sent to her family members.

“I think it’s really just the fans—her fans, Iowa fans, now Indiana fans—that really ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it,” Reese stated.