When Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA rookie record for assists in a single season back in August, it felt like it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped. That happened in tonight’s game against the Las Vegas Aces as Clark broke Alyssa Thomas’s all-time single season record for assists, making the landmark pass midway through the second quarter.
Her earlier record came back in August against Seattle, and it was definitely a moment of triumph. The rookie record was set by Ticha Penichiero back in 1998, and the specific number was 224. Clark clearly knew about Penicheiro’s role in WNBA history, and she praised her for being one of the most creative passers ever in league history.
Caitlin Clark beat out Alyssa Thomas to set the current season assists mark
The Fever are currently finishing out the season trying to get ready for their first playoff appearance since 2016. Thomas, meanwhile, is still starring for Connecticut, and she’s averaging a more than healthy 7.8 assists for the Sun. Clark is ahead of her with an assist average of 8.4, but Thomas currently has over 1400 assists for her impressive career.
This particular record wasn’t triumphant initially for Clark, however. She was shut out on the scoreboard in the first half while turning the ball over three times, so the assist came as one of six that were represented her only positive impact on the box score.
Fouls were a problem as well. Clark picked up two early ones, then a third late in the second quarter, as the Aces consistently attacked her once she got in foul trouble. It was one of her worst halves of the season, and it sent the Fever into the locker room down by eight at 43-35.
The Aces showed why they’re defending champs
Indiana’s struggles continued into the second half as Las Vegas showed why they’ll be a tough playoff out as defending champs. In addition to shutting down Clark, they held Aliyah Boston to just four points in the half. Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson showed why she’s almost a lock to be MVP by leading the Aces in scoring, and with Kelsey Plum chipping in as her running mate on the scoreboard.
But Clark elevated her game considerably in the third quarter. She went on one of her patented scoring runs to put up 14 for the quarter, and Boston had ten, with Kelsey Mitchell leading the Fever overall with a total of 19.
The Fever actually tied the game momentarily when Nalyssa Smith nailed a three-pointer to open the fourth, but the Aces quickly took the lead back. The Fever closed several times down the stretch, but this one mirrored the first game in the back-to-back set as the Aces were able to consistently hold them off.
Kelsey Plum finished off Indiana with a three-point dagger as the clock ticked under a minute. The Fever’s last gasp came when Aliyah Boston missed a corner three off a clean look as the ball barely rimmed out. The final score was 78-74, with Keisha Gray leading Vegas with 21 to go with 18 from Plum and 15 from Wilson, while Indiana was led by Mitchell with 20 as Clark added 18.
Indiana will rue missing this missed opportunity to get a win for several reasons, the most obvious being the fact that they basically lost the game from the free throw line. While Vegas was shooting a solid 70 percent from the line, Indiana struggled mightily, missing nine free throws and shooting just 55 percent from the line.
Vegas gets Connecticut on Sunday and the Storm on Tuesday, while Indiana’s schedule eases up as they play Dallas and Washington in their final two games. These two games were a terrific back-to-back preview of what’s to come in the playoffs, with a points record from A’ja Wilson in the first contest and and yet another assist record from Clark in the second.
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