Caitlin Clark Joins Michael Jordan on Historic List After Playoff Elimination

Caitlin Clark made history in the Indiana Fever's WNBA playoff elimination.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Connecticut Sun during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Connecticut Sun during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever were eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in Wednesday’s WNBA playoff game. After a back-and-forth final quarter, Indiana was unable to execute in some crucial possessions that led to their elimination.

This marks the end of what was a historic WNBA rookie season for Caitlin Clark. Selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark entered the league with unprecedented hype after breaking the NCAA’s all-time scoring record. 

Exceeding the hype in many ways, Clark broke numerous league records and earned a fourth-place MVP finish. As her season ended, Clark added one more piece of history with historic series averages.

Joining Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan on any list is special, but especially one that he previously occupied by himself.

According to StatMamba on X, Clark and Jordan are the only two rookies in NBA/WNBA history to average at least 18.0 points, 8.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in a playoff series.

 Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan and Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley face off in the 1993 NBA Finals. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The list of record-breaking performances from Clark this season is extensive. It includes single-game records, season total records, franchise records, and even career records. 

While the Fever are heading home much sooner than they planned to, it was a great season for a franchise that had not made the playoffs since 2016. Led by Clark, the future is bright for this Indiana team.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.