Caitlin Clark Is Coming For These WNBA Records
Caitlin Clark has been a menace to the WNBA since the Olympics break ended.
Her rookie season with the Indiana Fever was already impressive, but now she is making the historic look routine. With yet even more records in her sights.
Clark has rewritten the books when it comes to rookies. However, she is closing in on the mark for most points scored by a first-year player as well. An achievement that has stood since 2006.
Caitlin needs just 53 points to pass Seimone Augustus. With four games left to play, that seems like a given.
It will surely be pointed out that Seimone reached that total in a season of only 34 games in her rookie year with the Minnesota Lynx. But it's worth noting Clark is averaging four fewer field goal attempts on average than Augustus did.
Caitlin Clark is now top 2 where she belongs. This week we will witness her break a Rookie Points Record that’s been standing since 2006. #ChasingHistory pic.twitter.com/91OAqvjXxO
— Playoff BJ (@fettyfilm) September 9, 2024
CC is also nearing the record for most assists in a season. Not just for rookies, that was accomplished earlier in the year. But for any player.
Caitlin is 11 dimes away from passing Alyssa Thomas' mark set in 2023. Since she is dishing out more than 8 assists per game, Clark becoming the league's all-time leader for assists in a single season appears inevitable.
The scoring and assisting is really put into perspective when they are combined. Caitlin tied Sabrina Ionescu for most career games of 25+ points and 10+ assists in the Fever's most recent win over the Atlanta Dream.
So with just one more 25 and 10 performance that career record is all hers. In her first season.
The most 20 point and 10 assist games for an entire career is within reach as well, and will belong to Clark either by the end of this year or early next.
All of that is why she will almost certainly finish the season with the highest average of points either scored or assisted on by any player ever.
Caitlin Clark has tied the WNBA record for most career games with 25 PTS & 10 AST. pic.twitter.com/wsHLqTnLgm
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) September 8, 2024
Caitlin can pass Sabrina for most 3-pointers in a single season too, if she can knock down 18 more shots from beyond the arc. Unlike some of the above that isn't a shoo-in, but it is certainly doable.
Clark is hitting 4.6 threes a game over her last five contests. If she can keep that recent pace, she will own that mark also.
The sheer enormity of what Clark has and will surely still accomplish in her first WNBA season is staggering. With her averages of 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 9.3 assists since returning to play being particularly astonishing.
And perhaps most impressive is how her contributions have lifted the Fever's place in the standings. As Indiana has won as many games in Clark's rookie year as they did in the past two seasons combined.
So all those records are showing up in her team's record.
ROBIN LUNDBERG
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!