Caitlin Clark, the guard for the Indiana Fever, made headlines by setting the record for rookie assists in the WNBA during a recent game against the Seattle Storm. Despite a slow start, where she made only one of her first six shots, Clark ended the game with a total of 23 points, leading her team to a 92-75 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. She recorded nine assists and five rebounds while shooting 9 of 19 from the field, including an impressive 6 of 9 in the second half, where she scored 15 points.
Reflecting on her achievement, Clark remarked, “It’s definitely cool. If you would have told me I’d lead the league in assists coming in here my rookie season, I probably would have told you you were lying. But I take a lot of pride in that. I want to set my teammates up first and foremost because I think that’s going to help you have the most successful team.”
Entering the game with 223 assists, Caitlin Clark surpassed the former record of 224 assists set by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998. She achieved this milestone by assisting a layup from her teammate Lexie Hull late in the third quarter. Hull contributed significantly to the win, scoring 22 points.
In addition to Clark’s performance, Kelsey Mitchell of the Fever led all scorers with 27 points, while Jewell Loyd of the Storm managed 26 points. The Fever had the upper hand in shooting efficiency, outscoring the Storm 46.6% to 38.9% and gaining a substantial advantage from beyond the arc with 48.4% to 33.3%. They also dominated on the boards, registering 43 rebounds to the Storm’s 32 and recording 22 assists compared to 14 for Seattle, leading by as many as 19 points during the game.
The Indiana Fever, who have struggled in recent seasons and started the current campaign with a 1-8 record, have now found their stride, winning four out of their last five games. They currently hold a 13-15 record and occupy the seventh position in the WNBA standings.
Caitlin Clark is proving to be a standout player this season with an average of 17.8 points and leading the league with 8.3 assists per game, although she also leads in turnovers with an average of 5.5 per game. Last year, Alyssa Thomas set the WNBA regular-season assist record with 316, and Clark is on track to potentially break that mark, projecting to achieve 381 assists if she maintains her performance throughout the Fever’s remaining 18 games.
“I’m always looking for my teammates in transition,” Clark stated. “That’s kind of where I thrive the most. Sometimes I over-pass it a bit, and there is always going to be the turnover side of it with how fast I play the game and how much the ball is in my hands. But I’ll continue to learn and continue to get better at that. I still feel like there is a lot of room for me to grow. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
The Fever will next face the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT in Minneapolis.