Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA assist record as Rookie of the Year campaign continues

Caitlin Clark’s brilliant rookie year has another place in WNBA history.

The Indiana Fever guard broke the league record for single-season assists with her 317th of the season in a game against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday, surpassing the mark Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas posted last season.

She did it with an assist to Kelsey Mitchell on an inbounds play.

Clark finished the game not far from her third career triple-double, with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 10 assists, eight rebounds and six turnovers, which wasn’t enough in a 78-74 Aces win.

She already owned the WNBA single-game assist record, having posted 19 assists against the Dallas Wings on July 17. After a slow start to the season, she has looked every bit the league-changing talent that was promised while she was breaking college records at Iowa.

It all becomes more impressive when you remember Clark has been playing competitive basketball since last October, having gone from playing in the NCAA championship game to her WNBA debut in the span of 37 days.

Caitlin Clark keeps making history

In addition to assists, Clark is within striking distance from the WNBA’s single-season 3-pointer record. She exited Friday with 114 on the season, 14 behind Sabrina Ionecu’s 128 with two games to go. And it goes without saying that she has no shortage of rookie records after 38 games. The WNBA has simply never seen a combination of shooting and playmaking like her.

Not every record is good though, as Clark has already shattered the all-time mark for turnovers in a season with 209 entering Friday. The previous record was Thomas with 137 last year.

That inefficiency hasn’t hurt the Fever too much. The team clinched its first playoff berth since 2016 last week, breaking the longest playoff drought in WNBA history.

All of that has Clark as the clear favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, despite some competition in the record-breaking department. Her past, present and future rival Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky claimed the record for single-season rebounds and longest double-double streak before her season-ending wrist injury.

Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is on track to surpass Reese, though, with 435 boards and three games left on the Aces schedule. She had 17 against the Fever on Friday. while Chelsea Gray led all scorers with 21 points.