On Friday evening, the Indiana Fever took on the Phoenix Mercury in Indianapolis, returning strong from a lengthy break with an impressive 98-89 victory. Leading the charge was All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, who delivered a stellar performance with 29 points, five rebounds, and ten assists. Clark was efficient, shooting 8/16 from the field and 4/11 from beyond the arc in her 36 minutes on the court.
This performance placed Clark in an exclusive group, joining NBA legends Steph Curry and Michael Jordan. According to ClutchPoints:
ONE POINT SHY OF HER CAREER-HIGH 🔥
Caitlin Clark and the Fever win their first game back from the Olympic break 👏 pic.twitter.com/5jPL8otBAI
— ESPN (@espn) August 17, 2024
“Only 3 rookies in NBA/WNBA history have ever recorded 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists with 70% true shooting, multiple times:
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- Stephen Curry in 2010 (4x)
- Michael Jordan in 1985 (2x)
- Caitlin Clark in 2024 (2x)
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ELITE company.”
Only 3 rookies in NBA/WNBA History have ever recorded 29 PTS, 5 REB and 10 AST on 70% TS, multiple times:
🔸Stephen Curry ‘10 (4x)
🔸Michael Jordan ‘85 (2x)
🔸Caitlin Clark ‘24 (2x)ELITE company. 🔥
(via @WarriorsMuse) pic.twitter.com/K1kdF9y37g
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 17, 2024
Clark’s achievement underscores why she was the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, coming out of Iowa with high expectations. She continues to live up to the hype, averaging 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She’s shooting 40.9% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range across 27 games this season.
Her recent performances have been nothing short of remarkable. ESPN’s SportsCenter highlighted her recent milestones:
“Caitlin Clark has been BALLING in her last two WNBA games
- Broke the single-game assist record with 19
- Scored just one point shy of her career-high in points in her first game back from the Olympic break”
Caitlin Clark has been BALLING in her last two WNBA games 🔥
✅ Breaks single game assist record with 19
✅ 1 point shy of her career-high in points in first game back from Olympic break pic.twitter.com/zu10H6iPUJ— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 17, 2024
With the victory over the Mercury, the Fever improved their record to 12-15, placing them third in the Eastern Conference and seventh overall in the WNBA standings.
Clark and the Fever will look to keep their momentum going when they return to action on Sunday, hosting the Seattle Storm.
