There are not many rookies in
WNBA history that can say that they had a better rookie season than
what Caitlin Clark had this season. Perhaps Clark’s is the best
rookie season of all time. That is a subject definitely up for
discussion, but it cannot be understated how much impact the no.1
overall pick has created for the Indiana Fever with record breaking
performances night in and night out.
Among Clark’s numerous broken
records in just her rookie year: Rookie assists per game; Rookie
3PT FG made; Rookie total points; Rookie triple-doubles; Rookie
guard double-double streak; Rookie points/assists double-double;
Rookie All-Star game assists; and Rookie total
rebounds.
Not only that, Clark also broke
not just rookie records, but several WNBA records even as a rookie.
These are: 1st player in WNBA history to be named Player of the
Month and Rookie of the Month in the same month; 1st player in WNBA
history with 20+ points, 15+ assists and 5+ rebounds in a game;
Fastest WNBA player to reach 100 three-pointers (in 34 games); and
the fastest player to reach 350 points and 150 assists to start a
WNBA season (regardless of years in the league).
The 6-foot-0 guard set the most
assists in a game in WNBA history with 19, and the single-season
assist record of 337 total assists.
Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4
assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 40 games started for Indiana, who has
punched a ticket to the playoffs after a resurgence of play
following the Olympic break. The Fever finished the season with a
.500 record at 20-20 and qualified to the playoffs as the 6th
overall seed.
As a result of all her efforts
and accolades, Clark was named unanimous Rookie of the Year,
All-WNBA First Team, All-Rookie Team, and finished 4th in MVP
voting behind just eventual winner A’Ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier,
and Breanna Stewart. This kind of success is kind of unprecedented
for a rookie and there could not have been a better player than
Clark to do this, after also a historic college career.
Now, the Indiana Fever will
start their best-of-three playoff series against the Connecticut
Sun, and Clark will be at centerstage for perhaps the most
important basketball to be played in her young
career.
Clark and the Fever will be up
against fellow All-WNBAer Alyssa Thomas and the 3rd-seeded Sun, who
has been a team to be reckoned with this season following a very
impressive and consistent year – even slotting ahead of the
defending champions Las Vegas Aces.
After all, this season will be
remembered as how Caitlin Clark lit up the WNBA in a manner never
to be seen again.
