NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has had his say on one of the toughest calls in sport, whether Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese is the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Heading into the All-Star break, the race could not be closer between Indiana Fever’s Clark and Chicago Sky’s Reese.

Reese and Clark during a meeting between Chicago and Indiana last monthCredit: Getty

Shaq has made a big WNBA call between Clark and ReeseCredit: NBA on TNT
However, Shaq – who isn’t known for being a shrinking violet – has come straight out and delivered his verdict.

He is adamant one player is out in front, and that player is Reese.

The pair have been friends since she became a superstar at LSU, O’Neal’s alma mater.

But Shaq insists that isn’t a factor in his decision, and he is just extremely impressed with her progress in her first WNBA season.

“I’m not just saying this because she went to LSU, I think she’s definitely leading in the Rookie of the Year race,” O’Neal said.

“I give the vote to Angel.”

Despite that call, Shaq was also careful to praise both players.

They have helped to boost interest in women’s basketball considerably, both during March Madness this year and in this WNBA season.

“Caitlin is a fabulous player, the female Steph Curry,” Shaq said

“They have done a lot for the game, Caitlin and Angel, because of social media and all the media outlets.

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“They really brought the game where it should’ve been 10 years ago.”

As you can imagine, fans were quick to have their say on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

“Haters in tears!” one person posted.

“In my opinion, it’s going to come down to who’s team has the better record by seasons end,” another fan said.

“It’s an opinion based comment, Shaq thinks Angel I think CC but one thing folks surely can agree on is the eyes on this league is huge thanks to these two young women!” a third fan commented.

Caitlin Clark fever

CAITLIN Clark’s impact was already felt by the WNBA even before she was drafted.

The Iowa college superstar went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever in a surprise to absolutely nobody.

The Indiana Fever had 36 of their 40 games in the 2024 season scheduled for national TV – up from 22 last year.

Teams also moved their games against the Fever to bigger arenas to cater for the extra ticket demand.

Clark helped the NCAA draw 18.9 million viewers for the women’s championship game, more than the 14.8 million who watched the men’s decider.

She has also already signed a deal with Nike worth upwards of $20 million.

“Caitlin proceeds to break a WNBA record after this interview,” a fourth fan posted.

That last comment refers to a brilliant performance from Clark on Wednesday against the Dallas Wings, when she broke two records.

The first came when she laid on her 202nd assist of the campaign, which set a new franchise record for the most in a single season.

And she also put up the most assists in a single game by a rookie in WNBA history, with 19.

Indiana lost the game 101-93, but Clark continues to write her own brilliant story