Fever Phenom Caitlin Clark Keeps Making WNBA History, Even In Loss To Storm
Caitlin Clark’s long-term greatness for the WNBA has become fairly apparent, just halfway through Clark's rookie year.
And Clark just added to her strong case for Rookie of the Year after hitting an impressive milestone on Thursday.
Caitlin Clark Notches Another Historic Performance
Facing the Seattle Storm on Thursday, Clark officially became the fastest player to reach 300 points, 100 assists and 100 rebounds in WNBA history.
Talk about doing it all.
As relayed by Across the Timeline, Clark accomplished the feat in 19 games, beating out former Charlotte Sting (now defunct) rookie Andrea Stinson's 22 games.
Clark’s appeal as the WNBA’s first bankable star rests in her generational talent, which continues to break records. She is quickly reaching the upper echelon of WNBA talent; many argue that she’s already an elite player.
Even in her losses, Clark manages to be great.
Clark's magnetism also drew a record-breaking crowd attending Climate Pledge Arena. An estimated 18,343 fans showed up on Thursday to watch the Storm play Clark and the Fever.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 27: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on during the first quarter against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 27: Aliyah Boston #7 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever look on during the first quarter against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Clark leads all rookies in scoring with 16.3 points per game, adding 6.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds.
She finished Thursday's game with 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting with seven assists and six rebounds. Clark led the Fever in scoring, but the team still fell to a Herculean performance by guard Jewell Lloyd (34 points), and the Storm won, 89-77.
The Fever (7-12) may be a work in progress, but Clark's game is ready for primetime.
Clark’s tepid role in recent games has sparked questions over Indiana’s coaching and whether the offense should funnel more through Clark than NaLyssa Smith or Aliyah Boston. For a while, Indiana appeared to be a team on a quick resurgence, riding a four-game winning streak not long ago. The streak was snapped by a crushing one-point loss to Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky.
Clark and Reese continue to build their profiles for what should be a heavily anticipated ROTY race. The two freshman players have stirred the league’s most talked about rivalry. For now, Clark holds the edge regarding production and the PR battle. Clark has been a boon for the WNBA’s viewership, even amid some league in-fighting to start the season.
The Indiana Fever are dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime talent, which means they will need a plan to go all-in on Clark and lift Indiana to the postseason.
The Caitlin Clark Effect surges on.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 27: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever stretches before the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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