When it comes to having a remarkable year, Caitlin Clark is having one that's simply beyond compare. After coming close to winning a national title during her final year at Iowa, she's been brilliant in the WNBA, to the point where she's the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award over Angel Reese
But that summary barely begins to capture what Clark has accomplished. She's put the WNBA on the media map in a big way, and at this point the number of stories she's generated around the world likely numbers at least in the thousands, possibly more. She's also rewriting parts of the rookie record book, most recently by breaking the WNBA record for assists on Sunday in a 92-75 win over Seattle.
Caitlin Clark's latest rookie record by the numbers
Clark had nine assists on Sunday to exceed her season average of 8.3 per game, which gave her a total of 232. That means she passed Ticha Penicheiro's old rookie record, which she set back in 1998.
To her credit, Clarke was well aware of the significance of the history of her accomplishment. She connected with Penicheiro back when she was at Iowa, and she definitely recognized her predecessor's achievements.
"If you watch her highlights, she was definitely a better passer than me," Clark said of Penicheiro. "She had way more flair to her game. She would spin around and make these crazy passes. I kind of just run in transition and chuck it up there and hope for the best."
How Caitlin Clark's game has changed at the WNBA level
Clark is exercising a bit of false modesty, of course. She, too, was a brilliant passer back in Iowa, where she posted a remarkable 1,144 assists, which is third-best in D1 women's history. Also, Penicheiro needed 30 games to set her season record, while it only took Clark 28.
But those numbers also blur the significance of Clark's mark when you watch her game on the floor. She has better teammates at the WNBA level, and their talent is giving her more options as a passer, especially now that she's had a half-season to learn their preferences and specific spots on the floor where they can succeed.
She's become much more accomplished as a floor general, too, as her performance in breaking the league record of 19 assists back in July proves. Clark is really still just learning the pro game, and yet her mastery of the nuances is truly unprecedented.
Playoff positioning is at stake
The Fever are currently fighting to secure a playoff berth, and they've established a small cushion over both Chicago and Atlanta. The Phoenix Mercury are currently only two games ahead of Indiana, though, and no one would bet against Clark leading the Fever to a higher spot in the playoff seedings.
Next up is a stiff road test against Minnesota, which is involved in a battle of its own to stay atop in the west and hold off Seattle and Las Vegas. NBA TV will televise the 8:00 PM EST tilt, and the Lynx just acquired Myisha Hines-Allen from Washington in an in-depth move. The Fever, meanwhile, will be looking to turn their back-to-back wins against Phoenix and Seattle into a three-game winning streak that would include all three Western Conference leaders.
After that comes a home date with Atlanta, as Indiana looks to expand its prospective playoff cushion, and the schedule lightens up a little after a frenetic first-half pace. Can Caitlin Clark set yet another rookie record as her incredible season rolls along?