Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese should share this year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year award, women’s basketball legend Lisa Leslie has controversially claimed.

Both Clark and Reese are enjoying terrific debut campaigns in the WNBA, where they have resumed their gripping college rivalry while battling it out for the prestigious Rookie of the Year prize.

After joining the Indiana Fever as this year’s No 1 draft pick, Caitlin has already shattered several records up in the big leagues; most recently recording the most three-pointers by a rookie in history with 86.

Angel, meanwhile, has hit the ground running with the Chicago Sky, breaking the WNBA record for most rebounds in a single season with 418 on Sunday night.

However, in their final grudge match before the Rookie of the Year award is decided, it was Clark who got the better of Reese after her 31-point haul inspired the Fever to a 100-81 victory over the Sky.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are battling it out for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award

But women’s basketball legend Lisa Leslie believes the pair should share this year’s prize

Many believe the Indiana phenomenon should now have the award in the bag – particularly given her team has a winning 17-16 record compared to Chicago’s 11-21 slate – but Leslie has sparked outrage after suggesting both rookies deserve it this season.

The two-time WNBA champion wrote on X Sunday nigh: ‘I don’t care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year Award!

‘The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations! Take a bow ladies’.

Leslie, who spent her entire 12-year WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks, was heavily criticized over her take, with a large majority of fans adamant that Clark should be a clear winner in the voting.

One replied to her: ‘nah you be having good takes but this was a terrible one like really bad. You got one player that’s All WNBA first team and the other is a roll player that bring no winning basketball to they team. Stop it.’

Another said: ‘Lisa, we have a lot of respect for you but let’s be serious for a second’.

Sports podcast host Jason Whitlock led the outrage on X after Leslie’s controversial statement

Clark has shattered a host of WNBA records while inspiring the Indiana Fever’s playoff push

A third put: ‘Just disrespectful to what Clark is doing’.

‘It’s not a consolation award,’ wrote a fourth. ‘Clark and Reese are miles apart. There’s no comparison so please be serious.’

A fifth commented: ‘Uhhhh…. It’s unanimously Caitlin lol. Angel is doing great! But Caitlin has been doing some crazy stuff and it would be a disservice to Caitlin to have to share that award’.

While sports podcast host Jason Whitlock also said to Leslie: ‘This level of skin-color tribalism is sad and disappointing. An elite rebounder vs. an elite basketball player. Delete this tweet.’