INDIANAPOLIS — In a remarkable performance, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark set multiple records, both for her franchise and the WNBA, as the Fever defeated the Seattle Storm 92-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, preventing a season sweep against Seattle.
The Fever improved their record to 13-15, marking their second consecutive win over higher-ranked teams. Kelsey Mitchell led the scoring for Indiana with 27 points, followed by Clark with 23 and Lexie Hull, who achieved a career-high 22 points.
Throughout her career, Lexie Hull has primarily been recognized for her defensive skills, often tasked with guarding the toughest opponents. On Sunday, she took on the challenge of defending Jewell Loyd, who had excelled against the Fever in previous matchups. Although Loyd managed to score 23 points, she had a +/- of -17 for the game.
Hull demonstrated her offensive prowess at the three-point line, making two shots before halftime—only the fifth occasion in her career with multiple three-pointers in a game. The applause from the crowd grew as she continued to hit shots, culminating in a fourth-quarter three-pointer that not only stretched the Fever’s lead to 12 points with four minutes remaining but also marked her sixth three-pointer and established a new career high at 22 points, surpassing her previous record of 20 set in July 2023 against Washington.
Hull finished the game impressively, shooting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc and 8-of-10 overall. The Fever collectively shot 15-of-31 from three-point range, greatly outpacing Seattle’s 7-of-20 performance.
Caitlin Clark, en route to her record-breaking night, came into the game needing just two assists to surpass a long-standing WNBA rookie record. With 223 assists prior to the game, she aimed to break Ticha Penicheiro’s 224 assists record, which was set over 30 games in 1998. Clark accomplished this feat in the second quarter with a well-executed assist to Hull, marking the record-breaking play before halftime in her 28th game.
Penicheiro offered her congratulations via a video message on the Indiana Fever’s social media, expressing pride in Clark’s achievement and commending her exceptional passing ability and court vision.
Currently, Clark averages 8.3 assists per game this season, positioning her to potentially break Alyssa Thomas’ WNBA record of 316 assists set last year. With 12 games remaining in the season, she needs to average 7.5 assists per game to reach that milestone.
In addition to her assists, Clark contributed 23 points against the Storm, shooting 9-of-19, along with nine assists and five rebounds.