WNBA super rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese wasted no time showing their wares in the WNBA’s return to action after a month-long break from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Indiana Fever’s Clark, the no.1 overall selection in this year’s draft, lit up Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury in their first game back in the WNBA. Clark had 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists in the win over Taurasi and Team USA teammates Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper. Clark showed poise and renewed confidence as the Olympic break seemed to calm the super rookie’s game down. Clark started her WNBA career on a whirlwind, going from the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament to being drafted in the league in three weeks, then starting the entire month with just over a month.  

The transition seemed to have affected Clark’s game to start, however she has gotten her groove. Clark followed up that performance against Phoenix with 23 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks and made history in the process by breaking the WNBA record for most assists in a season by a rookie. Clark is now also the franchise record holder for most 3-pointers made by a rookie, a testament to the rookie’s incredible season as a pro. Clark is starting to get into her groove now as she gets more and more comfortable in the league and that is bad news for the rest of the WNBA teams.

Angel Reese, Chicago Sky’s no.7 pick, has continued her double-double rampage throughout the league. Since coming back from the Olympic break, Reese has delivered three straight double-doubles, putting up 11 and 15 against the Phoenix Mercury; 14 and 11 against the Los Angeles Sparks; and an almost 20-20 game vs the Mercury again with 19 points and 20 rebounds. Reese’s relentless pursuit of the boards put her in special company in the league, making history in her own right by being the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 double-doubles in a single season. Reese’s latest triple-double also marked a league-leading mark – an impressive one being a rookie in a league with premier players in A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. 

For Wilson and Stewart, Team USA’s runaway best players in their 8th straight run to Olympic gold, they will now be back to their respective teams in the WNBA to lead another championship run. Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces and Stewart’s New York Liberty met in the 2023 WNBA Finals with Wilson and Las Vegas eventually coming out on top. This season, the two teams are one of the best in the league yet again and it figures out to be yet another race to the finish line among them. When the league resumed play, Stewart and New York recently got the better of the matchup with a tough 79-67 victory. Stewart had 18 points and 7 boards in the win, but she had a lot of help from her Liberty teammates with Sabrina Ionescu leading the way with 23 points.

Despite the Aces’ rocky season than expected coming off a WNBA championship, Wilson continues to dominate the league by further establishing her status as the best player in women’s basketball. She recently had a staggering 34 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks on 12-20 FG and 10-11 FT to lead the Aces to another win and bring their record to 17-9, good for 4th overall in the league.

A lot of action is still yet to unfold in the WNBA with more and more stars and good basketball to be played, so stay tuned as the race to the end gets more intense.