Rookie watch: Players besides Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese blossom

After the Olympic break, all eyes are still on the WNBA’s rookie class. With three weeks left in the regular season, and as teams jostle for playoff spots, the debut seasons of rising stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are winding down. The headlines, however, aren’t.

These are the activities of your favorite rookies:

---

Caitlin Clark sets multiple records

Clark isn’t just pushing her team to the postseason, she’s setting records in the process. In an 84-80 win over Connecticut on Wednesday, the Fever guard made three 3-pointers, setting a rookie single-season record. The previous record of 85 was set by Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard. Clark’s total now stands at 88 with nine games remaining.

The 3-point record came 11 days after Clark set the rookie single-season assist record with a pass to Lexie Hull on the fast break. Clark now has 247 assists, well past Ticha Penicheiro’s previous record of 225, set in 1998.

The Fever will take on the Sky in Chicago on Friday night in the fourth and final regular season game between Clark and Reese. Indiana has two wins already.

---

Angel Reese’s star power continues to grow

On the court, Reese is raking in the rebounds, and off the court, she’s raking in the brand deals. This month alone, Reese launched a clothing line with Reebok, a partnership with candy brand Reese’s and her own podcast, Unapologetically Angel.

Her Reebok line includes shoes, T-shirts and sportswear, while the deal with Reese’s includes a special orange and yellow shirt inspired by the candy.

The Sky podcast for novice listeners will launch on September 5 with weekly episodes.

Off-court success is nothing new for Reese, who created a brand for herself while at LSU. In college, she had a NIL valuation of $1.8 million, and now that she’s turned pro, the deals keep rolling in.

---

Rickea Jackson puts in consistent season

Sparks fans can’t expect much excitement this season. No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June and LA is 7-24. But Jackson is a bright spot and someone Sparks fans will likely keep an eye on for a long time. The rookie came into the WNBA with a ton of potential and she’s already proving herself to be a consistent player with a bright future.

On Wednesday, she helped LA beat first-place Liberty 94-88, making 7 of 11 field goals and 4 of 6 3-pointers for 19 points.

That’s just the latest in a string of impressive games from Jackson. In her team’s 13 games since the Olympic break, Jackson has scored in single figures just once, setting a career-high 25 points against Dallas on Aug. 25.

---

Jaylyn Sherrod Signs Contract

The Liberty signed Sherrod to a training camp deal in April after the Colorado guard went undrafted. Sherrod didn’t make the opening day roster, but she clearly impressed the Liberty. They brought her in on a series of seven-day contracts before making it official on August 24 with a contract for the remainder of the season.

---

Kamilla Cardoso sets record

The Sky are currently battling for the final WNBA playoff spot, one game ahead of the Atlanta Dream. It’s been a mixed season for Chicago, but much of the team’s success can be attributed to its rookies. Reese has made headlines with her double-doubles, but Cardoso is proving just as important to what the Sky are building.

The South Carolina alumna scored a career-high 18 points in a loss to Connecticut on Aug. 23 and followed that up with perhaps her best performance to date. The Sky fell to Las Vegas 77-75 on Sunday, but Cardoso did her part, with eight points and 12 rebounds. She also had five blocks in a battle with fellow Gamecock and MVP front-runner A’ja Wilson.