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Caitlin Clark’s historic rookie season continued on Friday night despite the Indiana Fever falling to the Las Vegas Aces by the final score of 78-74.
The Fever guard recorded her 317th assist of the year in the second quarter against the Aces, setting a new WNBA single-season record. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas held the previous record of 316, which was set in 2023.
Clark has continued to make history throughout her first year in the WNBA, surpassing the single-season three-point record among rookies on Aug. 28. She also dished out 19 assists in a loss to the Dallas Wings in July, setting a single-game record.
Clark racked up 18 points and 10 assists in 34 minutes throughout Indiana’s clash with Las Vegas, shooting 7-18 from the field.
Indiana trailed by just three points with 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Fever were unable to hit a game-tying triple before Aces guard Chelsea Gray connected on a pair of free throws to put the contest out of reach.
Still, fans were amazed by Clark’s latest accomplishment:
It’s extremely impressive that she was able to break the single-season assist record as a rookie, especially considering Indiana still has two games remaining on its schedule.
Clark has exceeded the lofty expectations that were placed upon her after she was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft following a remarkable collegiate career at Iowa. She earned WNBA Rookie of the Month honors in May, July and August.
Entering Friday night’s action, Clark averaged 19.1 points and 5.7 rebounds to go along with 8.4 assists per game. She shot 41.7 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from three-point range, and 90.9 percent on free throws.
The 22-year-old was named an All-Star on July 2 and has continued to improve as her rookie season has progressed. Since the start of July, she’s averaging 22.6 points and 10.2 assists per game.
Clark has thrived alongside two-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in Indiana’s starting lineup. The trio helped the Fever earn a playoff spot on Sept. 4, marking the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2016.
Clark will look to continue her record-breaking season and help Indiana maintain its playoff positioning, as the team currently owns the No. 7 seed with a record of 19-19.