Caitlin Clark added another achievement to her historic rookie season on Friday when she broke the WNBA's all-time single-season assist record during the Indiana Fever's 78-74 loss to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Clark surpassed Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas' mark of 316, which she set a year ago.
Clark needed five assists entering Friday and it didn't take her long to get there. In the middle of the second quarter, she took the ball out of bounds on the sideline and hit Kelsey Mitchell, who had curled open off a series of screens. Mitchell then weaved her way into the lane for a bucket.
In defeat, Clark finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
The No. 1 overall pick is only a few months into her professional career, but she's already established herself as the most dynamic playmaker in the league thanks to her pick-and-roll craft and transition brilliance. Last month, she broke Ticha Penicheiro's long-standing rookie assist record, and her 8.5 assists per game lead the league and would be the highest average ever for a rookie.
Single-season assist record
| Player | Team | Season | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
Caitlin Clark | Fever | 2024 | 321 |
Alyssa Thomas | 2023 | 316 | |
Courtney Vandersloot | 2023 | 314 | |
Courtney Vandersloot | 2019 | 300 | |
Chelsea Gray | 2023 | 291 | |
Courtney Vandersloot | Sky | 2021 | 275 |
Courtney Vandersloot | Sky | 2018 | 258 |
Clark has always been an incredible passer, but that aspect of her game was overshadowed in college by her long-range shooting. That has not been the case in the WNBA. Clark has already become the first rookie to record a triple-double and set the all-time single-game assist record with 19 in a win over the Wings on July 17. She also has the Fever's single-season assist record and the WNBA's rookie assist record.
Furthermore, she's recorded the fifth 30-point, 10-assist game in league history, broke the record for most games with at least 20 points and 10 assists (eight) in a single season and is on pace to become the fourth player to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game for an entire season.