Add yet another milestone to Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking 2024, her latest coming Sunday in the Indiana Fever’s 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm as she broke the WNBA single-season rookie mark for assists.
Clark, who leads the WNBA in assists at 8.3 per game, had 9 Sunday to reach 232, passing Ticha Penicheiro’s previous rookie record of 224 set in 1998.
Penicheiro was the No. 2 pick that year for the Sacramento Monarchs, who are no longer in the WNBA. She helped lead the Monarchs to the 2005 league championship and finished her career with 2,600 assists, third most in WNBA history.
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Clark was four years from being born when Penicheiro came into the WNBA, and was 10 years old when Penicheiro retired. But Clark said the two connected during her college career at Iowa. And she knows enough to accurately describe Penicheiro, who is regarded as one of the most creative and exciting passers in women’s basketball history.
“If you watch her highlights, she was definitely a better passer than me,” Clark said. “She had way more flair to her game. She would spin around and make these crazy passes. I kind of just run in transition and chuck it up there and hope for the best.”
In fact, Clark’s passing is one of her top attributes. Along with scoring a Division I men’s and women’s record 3,951 points at Iowa, Clark had 1,144 assists, third in NCAA Division I women’s history. She topped Penicheiro’s WNBA rookie record in her 28th WNBA game; Penicheiro set her mark in 30 games.
With the expansion of the WNBA regular season to 40 games, Clark still has 12 games remaining to add to her assist total. The overall WNBA single-season assist record is 316, set last year in 40 games by the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas.
Clark at her current pace could eclipse that in 11 more games. Thomas currently is second in the league in assists with 202 through 26 games.
• Caitlin Clark: 23 points (9-19 FG, 3-10 3-pt FG, 2-2 FT) 9 assists, 5 rebounds; 232 assists this season (WNBA rookie record)• Clark: 10th game this season with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists (2nd most in WNBA history behind 2023 Breanna Stewart’s 12)• Kelsey Mitchell: 27 points (10-19 FG, 5-8 3-pt FG, 2-2 FT) 3 assists, 3 blocks; consecutive 25-point games for the first time this season• Lexie Hull: 22 points (8-10 FG, 6-7 3-pt FG); career high in points and 3s• Fever: 17-point win, Indiana’s largest this season• Fever: 6-8 on open 3-pointers in the 4th quarter (4-11 in the first 3 quarters)– ESPN Stats & Information
“If you’d told me I was going to lead the league in assists coming in here in my rookie season, I probably would have told you that you were lying,” said Clark, who also had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks Sunday. “But I take a lot of pride in that. I want to set my teammates up first and foremost because that’s going to help you have the most successful team.
“I’m always looking for my teammates in transition, that’s where I tend to thrive the most.”
Indiana, seventh in the WNBA standings, is now 13-15, matching last season’s win total. The Fever haven’t finished with a winning record since 2015, when they went 20-14 and made the WNBA Finals.
They haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, when they were 17-17.
“I think we just have a really balanced attack,” said Fever guard Lexie Hull, who had a career-high 22 points and was 6-of-7 from 3-point range Sunday. “It’s just really fun to watch when you have Caitlin running in transition — the ball can go anywhere, anyone can knock it down, our offense is just so fluid.”
If you’re a basketball fan, especially of the WNBA, you’ve likely been keeping a close eye on the incredible rookie season of Caitlin Clark. Her performance on the court has been nothing short of exceptional, breaking records left and right and showcasing her skills as both a scorer and a playmaker.
One of the most recent milestones Clark achieved was breaking the WNBA single-season rookie record for assists during the Indiana Fever’s victory over the Seattle Storm. With her performance, she surpassed the previous record set by Ticha Penicheiro back in 1998. Clark’s ability to distribute the ball and set up her teammates has been a key factor in her success this season.
What makes Clark’s achievement even more impressive is her humble attitude towards her accomplishments. Despite leading the league in assists and putting up impressive scoring numbers, she remains focused on helping her team succeed. Her dedication to making her teammates better is evident in her style of play, always looking to find the open player and create opportunities for others.
As the WNBA season continues, Clark still has more games to further solidify her place in the league’s history books. With each game, she is adding to her already impressive rookie campaign and setting herself up for a bright future in the sport.
For more updates on the latest sports news, including more on Caitlin Clark’s amazing rookie season, be sure to check out DeFi Daily News. Stay tuned for more exciting articles and stories from the world of sports!
