Caitlin Clark continues to leave her mark on the WNBA, with the 2024 first overall pick enjoying a stellar run that has seen the Indiana Fever clinch a playoff berth
Caitlin Clark continues to rewrite the record books as she became the fastest player to reach 300 career assists in WNBA history.
On Sunday, the Indiana Fever needed overtime to clinch a 104-100 victory over the Atlanta Dream. Clark was electric, scoring 26 points alongside her 12 assists and five rebounds in the comeback victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The 22-year-old’s performance saw her record her 14th double-double of the season, a Fever franchise record. Clark also connected on four three-pointers to move to 111 on the season, extending the rookie record she claimed last month.
The clash with the Fever saw the No. 1 overall picks in the last three WNBA drafts take the floor and shine. Clark’s teammate Aliyah Boston, the first name called in 2023, led the Fever in scoring with a career-high 30 points while she also grabbed 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, the Dream’s Rhyne Howard – the 2022 first-overall pick – went off for 36 points.
Atlanta led by nine in the fourth quarter, but Indiana battled back buoyed by the home crowd. Boston’s layup off Clark’s 10th assist tied the game at 90 with 18 seconds left, and the rookie hit free throws in overtime to secure the win as the Fever moved to 19-17.
For the first time in five years, the Fever are over .500. Indiana has been in hot form since the Olympic break, with Clark leading the way; the Fever have won 10 of their last 13.
The Fever secured a playoff spot on Sept. 3, ensuring the franchise returned to the eight-team postseason for the first time since 2016. Following the win over Atlanta, Clark said: “I thought we just kept chipping away, got stops when we needed to, and then the crowd was amazing and helped us get it done.”
Caitlin Clark has been in sensational form since the Olympic break, with the Fever winning 10 of their last 13
Clark has produced historic moments of magic as a rookie. The No. 1 overall pick leads the WNBA in 3-pointers made, while she posted the first-ever triple-double by a rookie, and set the record for most assists in a WNBA game when she dropped 19 dimes in the Fever’s loss to the Dallas Wings.
Given her impressive performances, Clark is almost locked in to win Rookie of the Year ahead of Angel Reese, whose season ended prematurely due to injury. Her play has even led to calls for Clark to be named MVP, although Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is perhaps in a league of her own.
The defeat was a blow to the Dream’s hopes of clinching the final playoff berth. Atlanta currently has a 12-23 record and sit ninth in the WNBA standings, one game behind Reese’s Chicago Sky.
Clark and the Fever are next in action against the reigning two-time WNBA champion Aces on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
