Throughout her first 26 games in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has set a new benchmark for what it means to be a rookie.
Clark, the No. 1 choice in the 2024 NBA Draft, has not only lived up to the hoopla surrounding her arrival in the league, but also outperformed expectations. Clark has already broken team and league records in her first few months of professional play.
There are plenty of reasons why No. 22, at 22 years old, is this year’s Rookie of the Year. But here are 22 reasons to get started:
1. Clark leads the league in assists, averaging 8.2 per game, the highest average for any rookie in WNBA history. Only one player in league history (Courtney Vandersloot) has averaged more assists per game throughout an entire season.
2. Clark leads all rookies in points (17.1), assists (8.2), steals (1.5), free throw percentage (89.1 percent), field goals made (138), 3-point field goals made (71) and minutes per game (35.2).
3. Clark has already set a new team record for the most assists by a player in a regular season, with 213, surpassing Erica Wheeler’s 201 from last season. Wheeler set the record across 40 games. Clark shattered it in 26 games.
4. Clark created league history on July 17 by recording 19 assists, breaking the WNBA single-game assist record.
5. On July 17, Clark also scored or assisted on 66 (71%) of the Fever’s 93 points, the most in a single game in league history.
6. On July 6, Clark became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double, scoring 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a victory over the league-leading New York Liberty.
7. On July 10, Clark became the first player in WNBA or NBA history to have at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals, five made three-pointers, and three blocks in a single game. Clark finished with 29 points, 13 assists, five steals, five rebounds, five 3-pointers, and three blocked shots.
8. In just 26 games, Clark became the WNBA’s fastest rookie to reach 400 points and 200 assists.
9. Clark set a new All-Star voting record this year, receiving the most votes of any player in history (700,735).
10. Clark was named Rookie of the Month twice within three months of her professional debut, joining 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston as the only other rookie in franchise history to do so.
11. From June 30 to July 12, Clark had five straight double-doubles in points and assists, the longest string by a rookie in league history.
12. Clark already has the most double-doubles (9) among rookie guards in WNBA history.
13. Clark has also produced seven point/assist double-doubles this season, the most by a rookie in WNBA history.
14. Clark averaged 20.3 points per game, 12.5 assists per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, 1.8 steals per game, 0.8 blocks per game, 65 percent 2-point shooting, and 92.6 percent free throw shooting in just July.
15. Clark has scored or assisted on 915 of the Fever’s 2,126 points this season, the most by any player this season and the greatest proportion (43 percent) of team points by any rookie ever.
16. Clark has tied or beaten the previously held franchise single-game assist record of 13 four times this season.
17. Clark was the only rookie this season, and only the third rookie in franchise history, to start an All-Star game.
18. In her first WNBA All-Star game, Clark had a game-high 10 assists, tying the record for the second most assists ever recorded in an All-Star Game.
19. Clark scored four 3-pointers in her WNBA debut on May 14, tying Edna Campbell and Maya Moore for the most in a player’s first career game.
20. Clark is on track to become the only player to ever average 0.8 blocks, five defensive rebounds, 1.4 steals, and seven assists per game in the same season.
21. Clark is the only player in history to record at least 20 blocks and 35 thefts while shooting at least 54% from the field, 30% from three-point range, and 89 percent from the line.
22. Clark has attempted the most three-pointers (104) from 27-32 feet away from the rim this season. Clark’s average distance for made 3-pointers this season is 28.04 feet, which is over two feet farther than any other WNBA player.
Be the first to comment