The numbers are in and by a near-unanimous vote, Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark wins the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. He loses that perfect voice to his nemesis, Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.

YOUR WNBA 2024 @KIA Rookie of the Year 🏆

Caitlin Clark redefined what it means to be a rookie, smashing WNBA milestones and setting latest standards in her first 12 months

➡️ Recorded the most assists in a single season
➡️ Led the Indiana Fever to their first 20 wins since 2015
➡️… pic.twitter.com/L4AHXmFW4q

— WNBA (@WNBA) October 3, 2024

The WNBA announced the Guardian Fever received 66 votes from a panel of 67 journalists and sports broadcasters. The only vote that did not go to Clark was for Reese. This is the second 12 months in a row that newcomer Fever has won the award. Aliyah Boston won the honor last season.

Although Reese had an incredible season, breaking several records along the way, her season ended early when she suffered a wrist injury, which led to surgery. The battle between Reese and Clark made for an exciting season in the league, generating interest in the WNBA that had never been seen before each women entered the league this 12 months.

Clark did something Reese couldn’t do: she led her team to the playoffs. The Fever lost the opening series to the Connecticut Sun. Clark helped her team increase their win total this season to 20-20 after the Fever went 13-27 last 12 months. The Fever qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Reese’s team didn’t qualify for the playoffs and finished the season with a 13-27 record, third-worst in the league.

According to Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals in his first season in the WNBA. Meanwhile, Reese averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 34 games. appeared IN.

With 3,337 assists, Clark set a WNBA single-season record. She also had two other single-season WNBA rookie records with 769 points and 122 three-pointers made. Clark led the league in three-pointers made.

Clark will receive a $5,150 award and a trophy commemorating the honor.

Named after one in every of basketball’s most pioneering players, Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School teaches its students that humble beginnings are only a stepping stone to the long run you ought to create.

On September 25, the college broke ground on a everlasting, 69,000-square-foot building that students and college can now call home.

When founder Dan Klores decided to begin a charter school, it was as a result of a lack of specialised high schools after traveling nonprofit New Renaissance Basketball Association, AAU program created with donations from friends and colleagues, Andscape said.

“Why can’t there be a specialized school for basketball, not just the game of football?” – Klores asked.

Earl Monroe New Renaissance Charter School offers specializations in basketball-related careers reminiscent of broadcast journalism, nutrition, physical therapy, gaming entertainment, law and more.

Although the college is governed by the New York State Department of Education, it is operated and operated as a charter school independent of the New York Public Schools. The development of the college is supervised by a council of 16 members, including teachers, social activists and lawyers. The first trustee was then-NBA commissioner David Stern.

Klores and Stern’s friendship began in 1983. As their friendship grew, so did their support for one another’s endeavors. Stern introduced Klores to Adam Silver, the present NBA commissioner, and a friendship also developed. The three have remained very close, and as a result, the NBA has supported the college and its efforts. The school’s motto was inspired by a speech Stern once gave: “Ball and a book can change the world.”

When it got here to creating a school, all the pieces had a purpose, including the situation. Klores, who was from Brooklyn, didn’t want the college to be in his home neighborhood. “Brooklyn has experienced incredible growth over the last 25 years. From beautiful neighborhoods to income growth, Brooklyn is doing well. This is not the case in the Bronx,” Klores said.

The Bronx is the poorest borough of New York, with 27.6% of residents living below the poverty line. About 10 years ago, when the Earl Monroe New Renaissance basketball school was just a concept, Klores met with local developers who told him about their plans to show the Bronx into business real estate.

It was then that Klores decided to construct a school within the Bronx.

“You can revitalize a community,” Klores said. “You have to start somewhere.”

The 110-student school opened in September 2021 at a temporary location within the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx. He has since achieved most of his goals. Interest in investments has increased on the premises of the temporary school, and more students are fascinated by art and sports-related subjects. The number of scholars has grown to over 400, and the common literacy level began within the fourth grade and is now within the ninth grade. But within the words of Klores, “there is still much work to be done.”

Students reflect the community. Ninety-nine percent of scholars are Black and Latino, and 30% of scholars have special needs. The primary goal of the college is to succeed in as many children as possible and improve the standard of life of scholars.

An example is the business classes taught by Klores. The curriculum focuses on financial literacy. Students worked in teams and commenced their very own sportswear company called “Finally.” The students were then “adopted” by Centric Brands, a global apparel company based in New York.

With the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School set to have a everlasting home next yr, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Klores, Silver, NBA star Julius Randle and the college’s namesake, legendary NBA guard Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. Klores and Monroe have worked together on other projects, reminiscent of Klores’ award-winning documentary

When it got here time to call the college, Klores had a query.

“Why do we have to wait until someone passes away to honor them?” – said Klores. “Not only is Earl an amazing person, but he helped shape basketball into the game we know today.”

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – JuJu Watkins appeared with Joel Embiid in an AT&T business and threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game.

The next great opportunity is almost here.

The Southern California sophomore standout has a likelihood to take over the baton that Caitlin Clark has carried for the past few years as the standard-bearer of women’s college basketball.

“I wouldn’t really say there’s pressure,” she said Wednesday during Big Ten media day. “There are a lot of great teams in this league and I think my main focus is winning with my team. And wherever that takes us, we are grateful. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Watkins and USC enter their first season in the Big Ten with rising expectations.

Last 12 months, the Trojans reached the Elite Eight of their deepest NCAA Tournament in three many years and were picked by each the coaches and media panel to win the conference championship. Watkins was named Preseason Player of the Year after a record-setting season as a freshman, and the opportunities ahead seem limitless at a time when interest in the sport has never been greater.

Clark, thanks to a series of three-pointers from Stephen Curry’s range, paved that path over the last 4 years at Iowa. She set a Division I record by averaging 28.4 points in her profession and was the obvious alternative to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever.

Meanwhile, Watkins was a first-team All-American last season. She finished second in the nation behind Clark in scoring at 27.1 points per game and set a national record for a freshman with a complete of 920. USC routinely played to packed crowds with celebrities in attendance.

“I don’t know if there was a young African-American women’s basketball superstar at that age who could use that platform, but I think it’s going to do a ton of good for the communities both in Los Angeles and across the country,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I wouldn’t bet against her that she can handle anything. At the same time, our job is to prepare her for what may come and make sure she can enjoy life and be a child.”

She said Watkins showed last 12 months that she was ready to “take women’s basketball by storm.”

“This is what she did with courage, grace and authenticity that is exceptional,” Gottlieb said. Obviously, she’s a very different person and a very different player than Caitlin Clark. But I feel similarly, expectations are getting higher and better, and so they are still being fulfilled.”

Lifestyle

Gottlieb said USC administrators contacted Iowa State with questions on safety and the way the school kept Clark secure. She has also reached out to Clark and plans to call former coach Lisa Bluder, who retired in May, for advice on how to cope with such an influential player.

“Ask her to talk about what she would have done differently, what she did, what she had to learn and what she had to adapt to, even in terms of signing autographs, about the tour and when you meet with your band – that’s all” – Gottlieb he said. “Why not help each other and be a resource for each other, and then we can learn as much as we can from them.”

Iowa State coach Jan Jensen, Bluder’s longtime assistant, had some advice.

“In your home you try to protect yourself,” she said. “The world can be turning pretty fast and everybody can be talking and wanting Juju to proceed producing. I’d say that the big world outside can stay big, but in your world it should feel quite small and tight.

Watkins and USC find themselves in a complete recent world. It’s the same with the Big Ten with the arrival of the Trojans, UCLA, Oregon and Washington from the Pac-12. But since Clark is now in the WNBA, the league has one other torchbearer.

“It’ll be fun to watch him evolve,” said Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff, who saw Watkins rating 32 points in a gap loss to the Trojans in Las Vegas last 12 months. “I think the Big Ten will give her an even bigger stage than the one she was on. “When you add to that the fact that he’s in Los Angeles, I think he’s going to be someone who will really help continue to take the sport in a great direction.”