There’s a lot to like about Breanna Stewart’s game as she’s emerged as one of the best players in the WNBA. The New York Liberty star continues to impress fans with the way she plays and it all stemmed from how she started. This year, another rookie is slowly following in the footsteps of Stewart after her outstanding campaign.
Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky started her rookie campaign strong. Even before playing a game, fans praised her for her imposing college run with LSU. Reese proved that she belongs in the league with how she performed and fans are excited to see more of her.
Looking at the two, they’ve shown a few similarities in their game. But the question remains, which of the two forwards had a better rookie year? Let’s find out.
Breanna Stewart took the league by Storm
Stewie was part of the 2016 draft and was picked first by the Seattle Storm. She wasted no time to dominate as she finished with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists. Her first game was against the LA Sparks who had Chelsea Gray and All-Star Candace Parker.
In her rookie year, the former UConn star played 13 games where she finished with at least 20 points. On top of that, she had two 30-point games during that time. Her rebounding was also impressive. Stewie played 12 games where she finished with a double-double in points and rebounds. She also led the Storm to a playoff appearance.
She played 34 games, averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Breanna Stewart did not disappoint as she averaged 1.9 blocks in her first year.
However, there were games where she struggled to score efficiently but finished the season shooting 45.7% from the field. Her outside stroke was also noticeable since she made 33.8% from beyond the arc.
The former college star finished her rookie year with the Rookie of the Year award, an All-WNBA Second Team nod and an All-Defensive Second Team selection. Stewart finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and sixth in the MVP race.
Now, let’s take a look at Reese’s rookie year.
The Sky was the limit for Angel Reese’s rookie year
Angel Reese had already made a name for herself since she was a star in college. But things were different in the WNBA since her rival; Caitlin Clark often overshadowed her. Still, that didn’t stop the Sky rookie from dominating as soon as the season started.
The Bayou Barbie had a promising start in her first WNBA game. She finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. That was the start of a record-breaking season. The former LSU star showed dominance on the boards, grabbing numerous rebounds. The double-double streak record that Candace Parker had for 14 years was broken by Reese when she had 15 consecutive double-doubles.
She also became the fastest player to have 446 rebounds in a single season. Unfortunately, that record didn’t last as 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson surpassed Reese before the season ended.
The 6-foot-3 forward finished her rookie campaign with 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. She wasn’t an efficient scorer, however, only averaging 39.1% from the field. But she earned an All-Star nod, an achievement Stewie only reached for the first time in her sophomore year.
Final winner: Breanna Stewart
Overall, the promising rookie year that Breanna Stewart had remains unmatched. The accolades that she collected in one year are far from what Reese achieved. Additionally, the Liberty star got to experience the postseason early in her career.
But Reese looks to be on the right track as one of the best young stars in the league.
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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann
