Caitlin Clark achieves WNBA rookie record, scores 23 points as Fever beats Storm

Caitlin Clark sets WNBA record:

Since the WNBA’s Paris Olympics break, the Indiana Fever appear to be a brand new team securing their second straight victory with a 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm at home on Sunday.

The main factor in the Fever’s victory was the performance of their guards as Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points (making 5 out of 8 3-pointers), Caitlin Clark contributed 23 points, and Lexie Hull added 22 points (shooting 6 out of 7 from beyond the arc). Aliyah Boston collected 15 rebounds for Indiana, who now have a record of 13-15 this season (with a home record of 8-5).

Caitlin Clark broke Ticha Penicheiro’s rookie WNBA record with her 225th career assist in the game’s second quarter. Despite the discrepancies in the number of assists Penicheiro is credited with (224 by the WNBA and 225 by ESPN), Caitlin Clark still broke the record.

Caitlin Clark mentioned in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe that Ticha has been a loyal supporter since his college days, always ready to offer congratulations and advice. To have someone like her pass by me, I am eternally grateful for her legendary status in our sport.

The Fever shared a video on social media featuring Penicheiro after Caitlin Clark set the record.

Penicheiro said she was always fascinated by your passing, court vision, and ability to elevate your teammates. “So this record is in excellent care and keep doing what you’re doing keep striving to improve your performance and the women’s game in the WNBA.”

Along with her 23 points, the rookie standout also recorded nine assists five rebounds, and two blocks. Clark is currently top in the WNBA for assists, with an average of 8.3 assists per game.

Both teams had a sluggish beginning, as Seattle maintained a 17-13 lead at the end of the low-scoring first quarter. Indiana made a comeback in the second half, reclaiming the lead in the last few minutes before halftime and maintaining a 35-34 lead at the break.

The Storm, despite their previous 3-point struggles shot well from long range at the beginning, making 4 out of 6 attempts in the first quarter and finishing with a 5-for-12 record at halftime. Meanwhile, the Fever faced more challenges with their 3-point shooting. They missed all 6 attempts at the beginning of the game until Mitchell made one in the second quarter. In the first half, they only made 3 out of 13 3-pointers. Neither team made more than 50% of their field goal attempts.

The Fever gained momentum in the second half, starting the third quarter with an 8-2 run highlighted by two impressive 3-point shots from Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. The Storm managed to equalize the score halfway through the quarter and prevented Indiana from maintaining a lead for a long period of time. The Fever had a slight 59-58 lead heading into the last quarter and then outscored Seattle 33-17 in the final frame.

Seattle was led by Jewell Loyd with 26 points, as Nneka Ogwumike stayed strong on offense and defense with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Ezi Magbegor added nine points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked five shots. The Storm’s record is now 17-10 (6-7 away), ranking them third in the Western Conference and fifth in the entire league.

The Fever have almost a week of rest before their next game against the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday at 8 p.m. E.T. The Storm’s road trip concludes at the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7 p.m. And so it goes.

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