Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, both standout players in college basketball, continue to make waves in the WNBA.
On Sunday, Clark guided the Indiana Fever to a 92-75 victory against the Seattle Storm, achieving a significant milestone in the process. She not only scored 23 points but also recorded her 225th assist, breaking the previous record held by Ticha Penicheiro for the most assists by a rookie in WNBA history, which had stood since 1998.
Clark expressed her gratitude, saying, “To pass somebody like her, I’m just forever thankful. She’s been such a legend in our game. It’s super cool, but hopefully there are a lot more of those.” She currently leads the league with an impressive average of 8.3 assists per game. The record-breaking assist occurred in the second quarter, and Penicheiro celebrated the achievement on social media, emphasizing that “Records are meant to be broken… it shows growth and evolution. Can’t think of a better player to break it.” Clark concluded the game with nine assists, bringing her season total to 232.
Clark’s impressive rookie season has already included becoming the first player in league history to record a triple-double and achieving another record with 19 assists in a single game.
Similarly, Reese, who is also making headlines, scored 19 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the Chicago Sky’s 86-68 defeat to the Phoenix Mercury. This performance made her the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 double-doubles in a single season, achieving this feat in just 27 games. She is now just two double-doubles away from matching Tina Charles’ record for the most double-doubles in a rookie season.
This season, Reese has already set the record for the most consecutive double-doubles in WNBA history.
As the WNBA resumes play after the Olympic break, both Clark and Reese aim to lead their teams into the postseason, with Clark’s Fever (13-15) set to face the Minnesota Lynx, and Reese’s Sky (11-16) scheduled to take on the Connecticut Sun. The trend suggests that both rookies will continue to break records as the season progresses.