Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking WNBA season: The history she’s made and the marks she’s chasing

Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking WNBA season: The history she’s made and the marks she’s chasing

  • Post category:Sports

Another game for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever meant another run-in with history. On Wednesday night, she set the WNBA rookie record for most 3-pointers in a single season. Clark scored 19 points in an 84-80 victory against the Connecticut Sun, going 3-of-12 on 3-pointers to bring her season total to a league-best 88.

Earlier this week, Clark moved into a tie for first with Atlanta Dream wing Rhyne Howard (85) for the rookie mark in Indiana’s 84-79 win over the Dream.

Of course, Clark was no stranger to making history in college. At Iowa, she set the NCAA Division I scoring record, became the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader and registered the most 3-pointers in a single season.

Here’s a list of some other WNBA history she already has made and what records could fall next.

What WNBA records has Clark broken?

Single-game assists: Clark set a WNBA single-game record with 19 assists on July 17 vs. the Dallas Wings.

Rookie triple-double: Clark recorded the first triple-double for a rookie in WNBA history on July 6 against the New York Liberty. It was also the first triple-double in Fever history.

Points-rebounds-assists: During the first half of the season, Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds and 150 assists in a season.

Assists: On Aug. 18, Clark broke the record for most assists by a rookie. She now has 247.

All-Star Game assists: Clark made her All-Star Game debut in July and recorded the most assists (10) by a rookie in the exhibition.

Rookie single-game 3-pointers: Clark made seven 3-pointers in Indiana’s June 7 win over the Washington Mystics.

Turnovers: This one isn’t so great. Clark became the WNBA all-time leader in turnovers in a debut game, with 10 in the Fever’s opener against the Connecticut Sun. She also has set the WNBA rookie record for most total turnovers, with 164 and has the most turnovers by any player, no matter experience level, in WNBA history.

Points-assists: Against the Dream, Clark notched her 21st game with 15 points and 5 assists — the most such games in a single WNBA season.

What other records can she break this season?

Points: Clark might not pass Cynthia Cooper’s WNBA rookie record for points per game average (22.2), but she is just over 200 points away from setting the WNBA rookie record for total points (744), which Seimone Augustus did in 2006 — albeit in 34 games.

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Minutes: Clark has played 1,060 minutes this season. If she maintains her current average (35.3) she will pass her teammate Aliyah Boston’s WNBA rookie record for minutes (1,249) within the final five games of Indiana’s regular season.

Point-assist double-doubles: Clark’s eight point-assist double-doubles are already the most of any rookie in WNBA history, but she needs just four more to pass Courtney Vandersloot’s overall record of 11, which was set in 2017.

Free-throw percentage: Clark is shooting 89.92 percent at the free-throw line, but she could still pass Elena Delle Donne’s rookie record of 92.9 by season’s end.

Total assists: Clark has 247 assists this season, just 69 behind Alyssa Thomas, who holds the all-time record with 316. If Clark maintains her average of 8.2 assists per game, she would set that record in one of her final games of the season.

(Photo of Caitlin Clark: Paras Griffin / Getty Images)



by NYTimes