August 19, UPI Caitlin Clark led the Indiana Fever to victory over the Seattle Storm despite only making one of her first six shots. She went on to record the most assists in a rookie season in the WNBA with 23 points.
At Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, Clark made 9 of 19 shots, including 6 of 9 in the second half, and scored 15 points in the last 20 minutes to lead the team to a 92-75 victory. In addition, she pulled down five rebounds and nine assists.
“It’s cool, for sure,” Clark said to the press. “I definitely would have told you to stop lying if you had told me that I would have led the league in assists in my first season here.
“However, I’m really proud of that. As I believe that would assist you have the most successful team, my top priority is to support my teammates.”
Clark had 223 assists going into the game, one fewer than the previous record of 224 held by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998. Before the second half, at 4:41, she assisted teammate Fever guard Lexie Hull with a layup that set a new record. In the win, Hull scored 22 points.
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Guard Kelsey Mitchell of the Fever scored a career-high 27 points. Jewell Loyd, the guard for Storm, scored 26 points in the defeat.
46.6% to 38.9% was the Fever’s outing against the Storm, including a 48.4% to 33.3% advantage from three-point range. In addition, the Fever had advantages of 22–14 in assists and 43–32 in rebounds. They had a 19-point advantage.
Despite beginning the 2024 season 1-8, the Fever—one of the poorest teams in the WNBA during the previous few seasons—continue to succeed under Clark. They currently own a 13–15 record, having won four of their past five games, and are ranked seventh in the WNBA rankings.
In a game, Clark averages 17.8 points and a league-high 8.3 assists. She also leads the league in turnovers per game with 5.5.
Last year, Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun set a record for the most assists in a regular season in the WNBA—316. If Clark keeps up her per-game rate for the next 18 games for the Fever, she might shatter that record as well, projecting 381 assists for the season.
“I’m always looking for my teammates in transition,” Clark stated. I kind of flourish there the most. Due to my quick play style and the amount of time I spend with the ball in my hands, I occasionally overpass the ball and there will always be a turnover component. However, I’ll keep learning and improving at it. I still believe that I have a lot of potential to develop. What excites me the most is that.”
The Minnesota Lynx (19-8) and the Fever will play on Saturday in Minneapolis at 8 p.m. EDT.