Caitlin Clark sets WNBA rookie assists milestone: can she break the overall single-season record?

Caitlin Clark made yet more history in the WNBA on Sunday as the Indiana Fever comfortably defeated the Seattle Storm 92-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, continuing their resurgence after a slow start to the 22-year-old’s first professional season.

One game and two days after becoming the first WNBA rookie to register more than 450 points and 200 assists in a season, the former Iowa Hawkeye scored another 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds against the Storm to claim another record, that of most assists by any WNBA rookie in a single season.

Portuguese star Ticha Penicheiro held the record with 225 assists for the Sacramento Monarchs in 1998, the second ever WNBA season, in which teams played 30 regular-season games. Clark’s nine assists in Sunday’s game mean she is on 232 for the season after 28 games so far.

How many more assists does Clark need to take the overall WNBA single-season record?

The point guard will now be setting her sights on the overall single-season assists record by any player, which was set by the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas just last year (316). At present, Clark trails the 32-year-old power forward by 84 with 12 matches left to play.

That means the Fever star would have to average seven assists per game across her team’s remaining matches to draw level. In her 28 WNBA appearances to date, Clark has averaged 8.3 assists per game, so it looks as it it should be well within reach.

When does Caitlin Clark play next for the Indiana Fever?

As a result of Indiana’s 10th win in 15 games, they have consolidated seventh place in the overall WNBA standings and are closing in on the Phoenix Mercury in sixth. The top eight qualify for the end-of-season playoffs. Clark and the Fever are next in action away to the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, August 24 (tip-off at 8pm ET).