Where it gets contentious is in deciding which of the two first-year players is better.

Some have used the player efficiency rating (PER) to decide the matter. It’s an advanced stat developed by former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger, who is now a senior NBA columnist for The Athletic.

Reese has a higher PER than Clark by a significant margin. The Sky forward owns a 19.8 PER through 22 games, while Clark only has a 15.7 over the same number of games played.
However, Clark’s supporters have tried to put the use of PER in perspective, as they believe it’s unfair to make that stat the sole arbitrator in settling the Clark vs. Reese debate.

One fan protests, “They use these weird stats no one has ever heard of that favor bigs to make their case! [It’s their] only way to create their narrative.”
Another X user posts in disagreement, saying “anybody who uses that stat (PER)
seriously needs to be ignored.”

“PER has always been a big person stat. Caitlin was top 3 last season at Iowa and was the only guard in the top 5,” said another Clark supporter.

Another X user who criticizes the PER called the NBA and WNBA “biased in favor of ‘average’ post players.” The same user went on to say Clark shouldn’t just be the Rookie of the Year winner but also an ESPY award winner for “impacting women’s sports, like we’ve never witnessed before.”

One fan blatantly calls the PER “one of the worst metrics for efficiency.”
“Fake made up stat,” said another Clark fan.
There is still plenty of basketball left to play this season, though. Both Clark and Reese can continue making strong cases for their Rookie of the Year campaign while they also look to help their teams make the playoffs.