Caitlin Clark was overwhelmingly selected as the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark has been selected as the WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote, marking the second consecutive win for the Indiana Fever following Aliyah Boston’s victory last season.

A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters awarded Clark 66 of 67 votes, with the remaining vote going to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, as announced on Thursday.

“I am deeply honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more importantly, I am thankful for everyone who supported me throughout this season — my family, friends, teammates, the Fever organization, and all the fans who cheered for us,” Clark said in a statement. “I am extremely proud of what we achieved and excited for what lies ahead.”

Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game, contributing to record-breaking WNBA attendance and increased mainstream attention. Though she faced some early challenges, Clark found her rhythm, earning a spot as an All-Star starter. She also led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016, finishing the season with a 20-20 record after starting 1-8.

“I’m pretty hard on myself. I think I had a good year,” Clark said after the Fever’s first-round playoff exit. “The exciting part for me is that I feel like I’m just beginning to tap into my potential, and I’m always critiquing everything I do. I know I want to help this franchise, and I see plenty of areas where I can still improve. That’s what excites me the most—I feel like I can keep getting a lot better.”

Clark wasn’t selected for the U.S. Olympic team — a decision that left many of her fans disappointed — but she proved afterward that she could have made an impact. Following the Olympic break, the Fever guard averaged 24.7 points and 9.3 assists over her first 10 games, leading Indiana to an impressive 8-2 record.

Clark earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for August, was named Player of the Week three times, and won Rookie of the Month four times. She became the first rookie in WNBA history to record two triple-doubles, set a league single-game record with 19 assists, and became the first rookie to score at least 30 points and dish out 10 assists in a game.

Clark led the WNBA with 122 made 3-pointers, ranked second with a 90.6% free-throw percentage, and averaged 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She set a league single-season record with 337 assists and established rookie records with 769 points and 122 three-pointers.

Reese, playing for the Sky, averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds.

Off the court, Clark, Reese, and their fellow rookies contributed to a surge in ratings and attendance for the WNBA. Six different league TV partners broke viewership records for their highest-rated WNBA games, all featuring the Fever. Indiana also led the league in attendance, averaging 17,036 fans at home and over 15,000 on the road. Four teams even moved their home games to larger arenas to accommodate the crowd when Indiana played.

Despite Indiana’s lopsided loss to Connecticut in Game 1, the game drew an average of 1.8 million viewers, according to ESPN, making it the most-watched WNBA playoff game since the 2000 Finals. It also became ESPN’s most-watched WNBA playoff game ever, even while competing with NFL broadcasts.

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