Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark added another highlight to her impressive rookie season on Wednesday, breaking the WNBA record for assists in a single game. Despite her team’s 101-93 loss, Clark dished out a whopping 19 assists, surpassing the previous record of 18 held by Courtney Vandersloot.
The 19-year-old rookie sensation showcased her elite vision throughout the game, reaching her previous career-high of 13 assists by the third quarter.
When asked about her record-breaking night postgame, Caitlin Clark responded humbly, saying:
“I just try to set my teammates up for success.”
When CC is asked what the single-game assists record means to her, Aliyah Boston jumps in:
“She’s going to say it means nothing, but I think it’s pretty cool. It’s pretty cool.”
pic.twitter.com/gPBa7JRRyc— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) July 18, 2024
Her response was fitting to what her teammate Aliyah Boston, who was sitting next to her in the postgame presser, said before Clark answered the question:
“She’s gonna say [the WNBA assist record] means nothing. But I think it’s pretty cool.”
Clark finished the game with 24 points, six rebounds and 19 assists. The record-breaking assist came with two minutes to play when Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 88-88.
Clark had several opportunities to breach the 20 assists mark, but the Wings pulled away late with a 13-5 run to secure the win.
She had six turnovers.
Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performances and potential future milestones
Caitlin Clark has already made history by becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double when the Fever defeated the New York Liberty 83-78.
Between 1999 and 2020, only six women had achieved a triple-double in a game. However, since 2020, 12 women have recorded triple-doubles on 25 occasions, with Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas leading with 10.
There have been 31 triple-doubles in WNBA history, with Clark’s being the most recent and the only one by a WNBA rookie.
This month, Caitlin Clark is averaging 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 12.5 assists per game. This is the highest assists per game average for a single month in WNBA history.
Following her record-breaking performance tonight, Clark has reached 213 assists and is closing in on Ticha Penicheiro’s single-season rookie record of 225, which has stood since 1998.
your new
@WNBA record-holder for most assists in a single game: Caitlin Clark, with 19.it only took her 26 career games 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/suqZ61ZizZ
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 18, 2024
The all-time single-season assist record is 316, set by Alyssa Thomas last season.
Clark is currently averaging 8.2 assists per game, leading the league and on track to set the highest assist average by a rookie in league history.
After her scoring and assisting masterclass on Wednesday, Caitlin Clark reached 400 points and 200 assists in just 26 games, the fewest career games needed to reach those numbers in WNBA history, surpassing the previous low of 33 games set by Sue Bird.
Caitlin Clark reached 400 PTS and 200 AST in just 26 games, the fewest career games needed in WNBA history 📈
The previous low was 33 games by Sue Bird. pic.twitter.com/bHmJHUkNcY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 18, 2024
