Caitlin Clark becomes first rookie since 2008 to be named to All-WNBA first team
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has become the first rookie in 16 years to be named to the All-WNBA first team.
The 22-year-old received 52 first team votes, making her the fourth-most voted player overall. Clark joins unanimous selections Napheesa Collier and league MVP A’ja Wilson, as well as Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas, in the team.
The last rookie to receive the honor was Candace Parker in 2008. Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi were also previous rookies to make the team.
Clark’s selection is just another achievement in what has been a record-breaking debut year in the WNBA.
The guard was already named the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote earlier this month, a fitting title for an astonishing season.
Clark became the WNBA single-season assists record holder (337), an accomplishment which included a league-record 19 assists in one game. Her 8.4 assists per game average is also a WNBA record. Clark also became the first ever rookie to record a triple-double and holds the record for most three-pointers made (122) by a rookie in league history.
The superstar, who has helped attract a new audience to the sport, inspired the Fever to the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2016. However, the team was knocked out in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
This year is also the sixth consecutive time that Stewart has been named to the first team. The New York Liberty star recently spoke out about “homophobic death threats” sent to her wife, Marta Xargay, via email after Game 1 of this year’s WNBA Finals.
Las Vegas Aces star Wilson, meanwhile, earned her unanimous place on the first team after a historic season.
The center averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.58 blocked shots and 1.79 steals across 38 games. She led the league in points and blocks and was second in rebounds per game.
Wilson broke the single-season records for both scoring and rebounding along the way. She became the first player to lead the WNBA in total points, rebounds and blocks in a season.
She inspired the Aces to the playoffs in search of a three-peat but the squad wad knocked out in the semifinals by the Liberty.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones of the Liberty, as well as Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) were named to the All-WNBA second team.
The teams are voted for by a panel of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters, with the process completed at the end of the regular season.
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