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Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese continue ROTY tug-of-war with dual outstanding performances
On Wednesday, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese continued to make their case for being named Rookie of the Year with dual outstanding performances.
Clark had an excellent all-around game in an 89-84 loss to the Mystics. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft finished with 29 points on 7-of-14 shooting (5-of-9 from deep), five rebounds, 13 assists, five steals and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Reese, selected No. 7 overall, extended her historic double-double streak with 11 points and 13 rebounds in a 78-69 win over the Dream. She added three steals, two assists and two blocks in the winning effort.
Per Across the Timeline, Clark is just the second player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five steals in a game. She joins Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas, who became the first player to do so last season on Sept. 5.
When adding her three blocks, Clark's Wednesday box score against the Mystics is unprecedented.
Reese's double-double streak stands at 14 after Wednesday, two more than Candace Parker's previous record she set during a 12-game span between the 2009-10 seasons.
Reese is the biggest competition to Clark for the league's Rookie of the Year honor, and she's closed the gap with her historic run.
Per ESPN BET, Clark (-550) remains the favorite, but Reese (+310) is closer than she's been all year.
According to DraftKings, before the season began, Clark was -800 to win the award, while Reese was in a distant third (also trailing Sparks forward Cameron Brink) at +3000.
Before Reese's double-double run, USA Today reported on May 24 that her odds were at +2600, while Clark (-1000) was a runaway favorite.
Both players have been as good as fans could have hoped they'd be entering the league.
Clark has continued mesmerizing with her elite passing and absurd range from deep. Per Her Hoop Stats, Clark is second in the league in assists per game (7.4) and leads in threes made beyond 27 feet. The WNBA's three-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the basket.
Reese was a rebounding machine in college and has continued dominating the boards in the pros. Her 11.9 rebounds per game lead the league, as does her 21.3 percent total rebound rate.
The discourse online surrounding the two sensational rookies is often toxic and vile, but we shouldn't let obnoxious saboteurs on social media hijack what's turned into a thrilling Rookie of the Year race.
In the on-court battle between Clark and Reese, we all win.
More must-reads:
- Chicago Sky Star Angel Reese Gets Real on Teaming Up With Caitlin Clark for WNBA All-Star Game
- Reese's double-double record now at 14 games
- The 'NFL QB rushing TD leaders' quiz
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In LeBron James' historic season debut, Lakers storm past Jazz
Luka Doncic scored 37 points with 10 assists and LeBron James added 11 points in 30 minutes of his season debut as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a 140-125 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Austin Reaves scored 26 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 points with 14 rebounds. Jake LaRavia had 16 points as Los Angeles won its third consecutive game. However, the game was historic for James and the NBA After missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica on his right side, James took the court to become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 consecutive seasons. Keyonte George scored 33 points and Lauri Markkanen added 31 for the Jazz, who lost for the fifth time in their past seven games. Svi Mykhailiuk and Ace Bailey each scored 13 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points with 10 rebounds in Utah's only road contest in a stretch of seven games. The Lakers didn't take their first lead until going up 89-88 on a Doncic layup with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter. The basket was part of an 8-0 run that gave Los Angeles a 91-88 advantage. The Lakers dominated from there. They led 104-93 through three quarters after trailing by as many as seven points earlier in the period. Doncic scored 17 points in the third quarter alone when Los Angeles had a 37-22 scoring advantage. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as the Lakers had a 36-32 advantage and finished with a season high in points. The Jazz led the entire first half, taking an 11-2 lead 3:19 into the game and going up 16-6 five minutes into the opening quarter. James had a turnover in the opening minute and missed his only shot of the first quarter as Utah took a 36-27 lead. James' first basket of the season came on a 3-pointer with 8:20 remaining in the first half. He scored seven points in the second quarter, while going 2 of 2 from 3-point range in the period. The Jazz led 71-67 at halftime by shooting 55.3% from the floor as George had 23 points and Markkanen added 22.
Adam Schefter: Aaron Rodgers frustrated Steelers let news slip
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting next couple of weeks ahead of them as the organization navigates an injury to starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The four-time league MVP is said to have suffered a slight fracture in a bone in his left wrist, which is luckily his non-dominant wrist. This happened near the end of the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and the quarterback did not leave the locker room after going in as normal for halftime. Rodgers has not been ruled out for Pittsburgh's Week 12 matchup with the Chicago Bears, and he might not miss any time at all. Throughout the second half of the game against the Bengals, it was made clear that Rodgers had some sort of hand or wrist injury. It was reported later that night that it was "feared" Rodgers may have a slight fracture in his wrist, which is exactly what wound up being the case. Rodgers is typically a very secretive individual, and it is fair to assume that he might not have liked the way that information got out and just how quickly it got out. NFL insider Adam Schefter spoke about this on "Unsportsmanlike" on Tuesday, and he believes Pittsburgh is now tightening things up. "I think what happened, me reading between the lines is, they kind of tightened the circle," Schefter said of the Steelers. "Obviously, Aaron Rogers is a private kind of guy and he probably didn't like initially that even this got out." Pittsburgh is usually pretty secretive as well as an organization, but the injury news got out quick, and Schefter believes that will force the organization to tighten things up moving forward. It is important to keep a player like Rodgers happy, and it is also crucial that he feels comfortable within the organization. As an extremely private individual, he needs to be able to trust those around him, and his injury news getting out so quickly does not help that case. A player's injury news getting out isn't the end of the world. It was going to happen at some point whether Rodgers wanted it to or not. The NFL has rules and protocols in place that force teams to be transparent about injuries to all players. However, this is the second time in roughly two weeks that things have made it to the media involving Rodgers. The injury news was broken quick, and Rodgers was also in tabloids after another player's wife spoke to the media about Rodgers' marriage — which is something he has been adamant about keeping private. Keeping Rodgers happy is crucial to this team having success, which is why Schefter is insinuating that the organization would be tightening things up moving forward. The Steelers are entering a crucial time in the season as the team has some difficult matchups coming up, and all distractions need to be limited as the franchise tries to hang onto the lead in the AFC North. Steelers still not certain who the starting quarterback will be in Week 12 Rodgers has not been ruled out for Pittsburgh's game against Chicago, and there is a chance he could start. It will all depend on how his pain feels throughout the week, and whether or not he can grip the football/take snaps from the center. Mason Rudolph played well in the second half on Sunday in relief of Rodgers, so the coaching staff should feel comfortable in starting Rudolph if that is something that has to happen. Rudolph playing well also takes pressure off of Rodgers rushing his own return, even though he certainly wants to be out on the field in Chicago.
Three younger players have emerged for the Commanders after impressive showing in brutal loss to Dolphins
The Washington Commanders are on a bye week after losing their sixth-straight game to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain, and now have time to regroup and evaluate the team. There weren't a lot of positives to take away from the loss, except for the Commanders finally moving on from kicker Matt Gay and a couple of young players standing out. The roster needs to be reconstructed once again this offseason, and seeing what key younger players they have on the roster is a huge goal for the rest of the season. Luckily, three young players showed they can be key contributors next season for the Commanders against the Dolphins. OT Josh Conerly Jr. Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has had a roller coaster of a season after a rough start, but he's really started to find his groove over the last few weeks. Conerly Jr. allowed four sacks and 11 pressures in his first two games of his rookie season, and had some hiccups along the way, but the last two weeks have shown his potential. Conerly Jr. held Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson in check with zero sacks and only one pressure, and followed it up with another impressive showing against the Dolphins. The right tackle once again didn't allow a single sack and only two pressures. His upside has been trending up, and that's something the Commanders needed to see. LB Jordan Magee The defense has been the main storyline of the roster, and the downfall led to Dan Quinn taking over as defensive coordinator. This was the first game with Quinn as the new defensive coordinator, and we saw a much-improved defense, including second-year linebacker Jordan Magee. Stats-wise, Magee had five tackles and didn't miss a single one, and also allowed just 22 yards in coverage on three catches, which is much better than what we've seen from the linebacker group this season. Magee showed that he can fly around and play freely, while being smart enough to read and react and not overshoot on plays, especially on passes coming from the backfield. Being one of the starting linebackers next year would be huge for the Commanders' defense, and one less roster spot to worry about. RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. The Commanders' running back room has been a rotation of Bill Croskey Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr, and Jeremy McNichols, who all have their own roles. The 25-year-old running back started the season inactive, but got the chance to prove himself again after Austin Ekeler went down. He's made the most of his opportunities. Over the last three weeks, however, Rodriguez Jr. has taken over as the main running back, and it doesn't look like he will give it up anytime soon. He had 12 attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks, and found the endzone again the next week against the Lions. Rodriguez Jr. carried that momentum to Madrid, Spain, and had a season-high 79 yards on the ground, and tied his Week 1 carry count with 16 attempts. The Commanders still need a legit RB1 in free agency or the draft, but Rodriguez has shown that he can run hard and open up the running game as well. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Former Heisman winner has bold take on James Franklin, Virginia Tech
It makes sense for the Virginia Tech Hokies to be excited about the addition of James Franklin as their new head coach. Franklin was fired by Penn State for failing to live up to the championship expectations in Happy Valley. For a program looking to get back on its feet and reestablish itself in this new era of college football, though, Franklin is a home run hire. Virginia Tech now has a bona fide head coach who can win games and recruit at a high level. Let's not talk about winning "the big one" for now. Right now, the Hokies just need to get back into that conversation, and Franklin is great for them in that regard. Getting into the conversation is one thing. Staying there is another, and it's worth noting that one college football commentator, former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, thinks this will be the move that helps put VT back in that stratosphere. “Virginia Tech will become an ACC contender year in and year out with James Franklin as Head Coach,” Griffin said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. James Franklin will need time to turn things around at Virginia Tech It's one thing to be excited about this move for the Hokies because it is a big-time hire for them. To say that they'll be a contender "year in and year out" is a bit of a premature statement at this moment, though. Franklin can absolutely get them there, but it's going to take time for him to rebuild this program. The Hokies have pledged to put $229M into the athletics budget over the next four years, and you can bet a ton of that is going to go to Franklin so that he can hire good coaches and attract players with big-time NIL deals on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. The Hokies haven't had a 10-win season since 2016, though, so even in this era when quick turnarounds are possible, giving Franklin a year or two of cushion would be smart. His getting VT to the top of the ACC every season is an idea that also flies in the face of the reputation that he earned at Penn State. Sure, the ACC is in no way as stacked as the Big Ten, but Clemson, Florida State and Miami are huge brands with a ton of money and momentum behind them that won't be going anywhere. Though Franklin did get PSU into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff last season, it's worth remembering that he was 4-21 against AP top-10 opponents at Penn State and 1-18 against top-10 opponents from within the Big Ten. That's a .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams, and that's not going to get magically better just because he's coaching in the ACC now. If he's going to get Virginia Tech back into the college football limelight, it's going to be much harder than just showing up when "Enter Sandman" starts playing. He's certainly talented enough of a coach and recruiter to do it, but let's pump the brakes and let him get settled into his new office before we start talking about Virginia Tech once again being a top program.
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