Indiana Fever sensation Caitiln Clark made more history on Sunday when she surpassed Ticha Penicheiro for the most assists by a rookie in WNBA history during the team's 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm. The record-breaker came early in the third quarter when Clark spotted Kelsey Mitchell running the floor and hit her in stride with a perfectly placed full-court pass.
this full court dime by Caitlin Clark to Kelsey Mitchell 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XD8heu3okJ
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 18, 2024
Clark finished with 23 points, five rebounds and nine assists, as the Fever picked up another impressive win since returning from the Olympic break.
"Well, Ticha's been a big fan of mine ever since I was in college, and somebody that has always been right there to congratulate me or just be somebody that's offered advice," Clark said. "I'm just forever thankful that she's such a legend in our game. It's super cool, but hopefully there's a lot more of those.
Penicheiro's mark of 225 had stood since 1998, which was just the second year of the WNBA's existence. Making Clark's feat even more impressive is she did it in 28 games, two fewer than Penicheiro's 30, so the longer season that the league has now didn't even factor into the equation.
Rookie assist record tracker
| Player | Team | Season | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 232 | ||
Ticha Penicheiro | 1998 | 225 |
Penicheiro put out a video congratulating Clark on her accomplishment:
"This record is in great hands."
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 18, 2024
Ticha Penicheiro congratulates Caitlin Clark on passing her for the @WNBA record for assists in a single season by a rookie. pic.twitter.com/lvzk6i78F2
"Hey Caitlin, Ticha here. Congratulations. A record that stood since 1998 and you come in here and you break it," Penicheiro said. "Super proud of you. I know the work that you put in. A lot of people always talked about your shooting, I was always mesmerized by your passing, your court vision and how you make your teammates better. So this record is in great hands. Continue to do what you do, continue to elevate your game, and the women's game and the WNBA. Congratulations, super proud of you."
After a choppy start to her professional career, Clark came into her own in June and has arguably claimed the title of best point guard in the league. It took her just 26 games to set the Fever's franchise record for assists in a season, she became the first rookie to record a triple-double in WNBA history in a win over the New York Liberty on July 6, and she started the All-Star Game for Team WNBA, leading them to an upset win over Team USA while setting the rookie record for assists in the event.
For the season, she is averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists. Among rookies she is first in scoring and assists, and among all players she is 11th and first, respectively, in those two categories.
