Yup, she's at it again. Caitlin Clark has spent much of her rookie season obliterating parts of the WNBA record book, especially those pertaining to other first-year players. Tonight against the Connecticut Sun, the Fever star set the rookie record for three pointers, getting her 86th of the year to help the Fever pull away to a nine-point halftime lead.
The move she used was one we've come to consider classic Clark. With Dijonai Carrington glued to her as Clark maneuvered her way along the three-point line, Clark executed one of her step-back threes far too quickly for Carrington to keep pace and respond effectively. Clark doesn't need a lot of space, and she made the subsequent dagger look easy.
What the three-pointer meant for Caitlin Clark
The game wasn't that at all, of course. The Sun are a formidable opponent, and they entered the game just three games behind the Liberty after a recent road win against New York.
Clark's latest record three-pointer was important to help Indiana sprint out to that early lead, but it nearly didn't last. Connecticut threatened to take the lead multiple times in the second half, but the Fever were able to hold them off each time they made a run.
The contest came down to a single possession in the fourth quarter, and after a late turnover by Alyssa Thomas, Lexie Hull hit a pair of free throws. A Clark Defensive rebound iced the game for the Fever, who posted an 84-80 win.
It was hardly one of Clark's best performances. She scored 19 points, but shot just 3 of 12 from behind the arc, and Connecticut forced her into seven turnovers. Some of Clark's early season struggles with turnovers have resurfaced of late, and the she and the Fever will have to clean up those issues if they're going to continue to compete for a higher seed.
If there's one thing we've learned about Caitlin Clark, though, it's that she's all about winning. She won't be happy with her own performance, but this was an important win for the Fever, both in the moment and going forward.
Recording Clark's record chase
It would take a book to detail the various records Caitlin Clark as achieved this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see that kind of chronicle appear on bookstore after her remarkable season.
She set the single game record for assists with 19 against Dallas back in July, and earlier in August she broke the record for assists by a rookie as she makes her way toward 300.
Clark also had the first triple-double ever for a rookie back in July against the Liberty, and that achievement doubled as the first triple-double ever for the Fever. She's the first rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds and 150 assists in a single season, and she got the most assists by a rookie in the WNBA All-Star game in July.
Not all the records are positive, however. Clark became the league's all-time leader in turnovers with 10 against the Sun in the season opener, and the Sun forced her into a bunch of them in tonight's Indiana victory.
Other records on the horizon
There are other records out there that Clark might achieve this year. She's just 200 points away from breaking Seimone Augustus's rookie record for total point at 744, although it took Augustus just 34 games to set that record.
The Indiana rookie has also been durable, and she's got a chance to break fellow Fever rookie Aliyah Boston's mark of 1,249 minutes in the final games of the season. She's also within shouting distance of Alyssa Clark's all-time assist record of 316, but Clark will likely need until the end of the season to tie that one as well.