Caitlin Clark dropped a career-high 35 points on Sunday evening as her Indiana Fever squad took down the Dallas Wings with a thrilling 110-109 final score.
With her performance in the scoring column, Clark set the all-time WNBA rookie scoring record (761) — passing the previous mark of 744 set by Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus in 2006.
This is one of many all-time WNBA records set by Clark in her debut campaign. The No. 1 overall pick is also the league’s all-time single-season assist leader and the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
Clark, an All-Star in her first professional season, is currently second in MVP odds, trailing only Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson.
Clark’s stellar play down the stretch has led to the resurfacing of some comments made by legendary UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
Auriemma called Caitlin Clark fans “delusional, disrespectful, stupid and unknowledgeable” for thinking she could be one of the WNBA’s best players in her first season.
“The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she’s going to go into that league and tear it apart,” Auriemma said earlier this year. “… She’s third or fourth in betting odds for being MVP of the WNBA. These people are so disrespectful, so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women’s basketball a bad name.
“This kid [Clark] is on the wrong team, she has the wrong skillset to handle the physicality of that league and she’s a rookie.”
Fans are letting Auriemma hear it after Clark set the league’s all-time rookie scoring record.
“CC is doing just fine in the league. Dont worry about her, Geno,” one wrote.
“The only one disrespectful was Geno of thinking CC is an ordinary run of the mill player,” another said.
“Now who’s unknowledgeable,” another added.
“Joker. This is horrendous. You want to talk about how the WNBA players were disrespected by Caitlin’s delusional fan base…I want your apology for disrespecting Caitlin. I’ll be waiting…” another wrote.
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Clark and the Fever will finish off their regular-season campaign with a matchup against the Washington Mystics on Thursday night.