When rookie phenom Caitlin Clark first made the jump from Iowa to the WNBA, the hype machine immediately went into overdrive, and many fans and experts wondered if a lot of it was just noise. That first impression was magnified by Clark's uneven start, which included multiple games in which Clark turned into a turnover machine, and Indiana got off to a rough start as well.
But Clark's game has changed significantly, and so have the numbers. She's posting historic stats and breaking records left and right, including a couple that have put her up against established stars. She's now in the argument to be the league's best rookie ever, and those numbers justify her at least being in the discussion.
Caitlin Clark's historic rookie season
Her biggest jump as the season has progressed is in the assist column, where she's averaging 8.3 per game. Clark notched a special spot in the record book by passing Ticha Penicheiro for most assists by a rookie, and she did it in just 28 games.
However, there are other relevant numbers on the table. Sue Bird is the benchmark as the best rookie ever and her numbers were 14.4 points a game to go with 6 assists.
Bird was a first-team All-WNBA pick in that 2002 season, but with 17.8 points a game, Clark has a solid margin she should be able to sustain as the Fever bid for a playoff spot and higher seeding than their current slot at seventh.
Clark has spoken frequently about her reverence for Maya Moore, but Clark has better rookie numbers than Moore in every category other than three-pointers. Maya Moore was also a force on defense, though, and Clark has a ways to go to match her idol there.
More modern comparison numbers
Jumping forward in time, several other names enter the conversation, starting with Arike Ogunbowale, whose 19.1 ppg average currently gives her a comfortable cushion over Clark. Clark still has a chance to catch her, in theory, but she'll have to continue her recent brilliance to do it.
A look at this year's Olympic roster is even more revealing. Sabrina Ionescu, Jackie Young, and Jewell Lloyd all took multiple seasons to reach the kind of All-star level production Clark is giving Indiana.
If you're looking to compare her to other prolific college scorers, Kelsey Plum and Kelsey Mitchell both averaged far less than Clark in their inaugural season, and Clark's shooting percentage is far higher as well.
One WNBA star whose legacy covers both the modern WNBA and the league's historic past is Diana Taurasi, who's spoken glowingly about Clark's impressive learning curve. Taurasi averaged 17 points a game as an All-WNBA rookie, but Clark has taken more three-pointers than Taurasi while maintaining a more effective shooting percentage than the Mercury legend.
Clark's future looks just as bright
Going forward into this season, Clark's chance to make the case as the best rookie ever gets even better. Part of the reason she struggled was that she jumped right out of the NCAA Final Four and into the WNBA, at which point the league chose to try and capitalize on her startling fame to schedule her with a brutal sleight of games against premier opponents.
It wasn't always easy, but Clark survived, and now she's thriving. The Olympic break gave her a chance to reset, and she's averaged almost 10 assists a game to go with 26 points. She likely won't be able to sustain that pace, but no one would bet against her at this point.
If you want more evidence, forget the numbers and stats and just watch the games. Clark is showing much greater control as a floor general, and she's running a nightly pick-and-roll clinic with Aliyah Boston. The more she learns, the better she gets, and the Fever is beating top-tier teams and giving the impression that they could go on an impressively deep playoff run as well.