Whether the Indiana Fever win or lose, Caitlin Clark keeps breaking records.
The WNBA rookie outdid herself again on Wednesday, passing the WNBA single-game record for assists after earning a career-high 19 assists as the Fever fell to the Dallas Wings, 101-93.
Caitlin Clark is in a category of her own With 19 assists in tonight’s game, Clark has set a new record for most AST in a single game in WNBA historyPreviously, Courtney Vandersloot held the record with 18 AST in a game for the Chicago Sky vs. the Indiana Fever in 2020 pic.twitter.com/dUVzusSBTp
WNBA (@WNBA) July 18, 2024
With the performance, Clark also sets a new single-game rookie assist record, passing the 16 assists set by Tina Penicheiro in 1998.
Clark also moves well beyond her previous career high, which she achieved on multiple occasions throughout this season, including the Fever’s huge win over the New York Liberty on July 6. At that game, when the Fever defeated the No. 1 Liberty, Clark became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double.
The Fever-Wings matchup sent the WNBA out with a bang ahead of the All-Star and Olympic breaks. Although Dallas came out swinging, going up over the Fever by as many as 16 in the first half, Indiana came back to cut that lead to eight heading into halftime.
After tightening the game in the third quarter, the fourth quarter was incredibly close, with the two teams exchanging leads and spending much of the final frame tied. In the end, Dallas was able to hold the Fever off with some heroics from star guard Arike Ogunbowale.
Both teams were lead by their own dynamic duos, with Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims ending with 24 points each for Dallas. For the Fever, Clark and Boston recorded 24 and 28 points, respectively, with Boston’s marking a career high.
With the historic performance, Clark is once again putting up a convincing show for her rookie of the year campaign. Clark leads the league in assists per game with 7.8, and has quickly cemented herself as a crucial part of the Fever’s starting lineup. And after Wednesday’s performance, her odds to take the prestigious first-year award grew.
Dallas rises to 6-19 with the win, but still sits at the bottom of the WNBA table. The Fever, meanwhile, are 11-15 and sit solidly in the middle.
The WNBA will now move into the All-Star break, with the All-Star game between Team USA and Team WNBA taking place on Saturday. Clark, Boston and Ogunbowale are all part of the Team WNBA roster, and will play against the Team USA roster ahead of the WNBA’s break for the 2024 Olympics.