Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA assists record

Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark continues to shatter records and rewrite history in the WNBA.

After already breaking multiple records, including most assists in a single game and assists by a rookie in their debut season, Clark achieved another milestone by setting the WNBA single-season assists record on a Friday matchup against the Las Vegas Aces.

Clark needed four assists to tie the previous record of 316, set by Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun. She surpassed this mark in the second quarter of the game by assisting Kelsey Mitchell in a 3-pointer. Clark ended the game with nine assists, bringing her total to 321 assists for the season, despite the Fever losing 78-74 to the Aces.

The fact that another single-season record fell on Friday night was extremely fitting. Just two days earlier, A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces had set a new single-season points record. With the regular season expanding to 40 games over the past two seasons, numerous records have been broken.

Clark acknowledged the trend of record-breaking in the league, stating, “You’re just going to continue to see records be taken down, but also I think really good basketball, and that’s why it’s been so fun to watch.”

Since the WNBA’s inception in 1997, the length of the season has seen various changes. Courtney Vandersloot’s 300 assists in 2019 and Ticha Penicheiro’s prior rookie assist record of 236 in 2000 stand out among the notable milestones in the league’s history.

Caitlin Clark’s remarkable season extends beyond setting the single-season assists record. She recorded the first-ever triple-double for a rookie in WNBA history and set the rookie 3-point single-season record. Moreover, she became the first rookie to achieve 400 points, 100 rebounds, and 150 assists in a season.

Clark’s exceptional performances have positioned her to potentially break the rookie scoring record for points in a season, currently held by Seimone Augustus.

Not only is Clark making waves individually, but her impact on the Indiana Fever team is significant. The team has secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2016 and is currently vying for their first winning season since 2015.

Reflecting on the team’s success, Clark noted, “I came in with the expectation this was going to happen… there’s much more left to be done.”