Another day, another record for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is now the WNBA’s all-time leader in 20-point, 10-assist games. Clark, who had 21 points and 10 assists on Sunday, now has 12 20-and-10 games — in just 57 career appearances.
Clark technically broke the record on Friday night in the team’s overtime loss to the Washington Mystics — more on that later — but just for good measure, she had another big night on 5-of-10 shooting from the field in the Fever’s 89-78 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday.
“I always take pride in being able to set my teammates up for success,” Clark said. “I think that allows our team to really get flowing, and I can do a really good job of that. Like, I only played 23 minutes tonight and I had 10 assists. I think it shows the potential of what this team can do offensively. Like, they gotta make the shots for me to get the assists, so, half of it is them. I gotta set them up for success.”
Shortly before the Fever took the court on Sunday, the WNBA issued a stat correction from their loss against the Mystics. The box score initially said that Clark, who led an incredible fourth-quarter comeback and sent that game to an extra frame with a last-second 3-pointer, had 32 points and eight assists.
But on Saturday, video clips began circulating on social media that showed the scorekeeper failed to credit Clark with assists on two made baskets — a Monique Billings 3-pointer in the second quarter and a Kelsey Mitchell 3 late in the fourth quarter.
Upon review, Clark’s assist total was updated to 10. That correction made Clark the only player in WNBA history with multiple 30-point, 10-assist games and also gave her the record for 20-point, 10-assist games, which she then added to against the Storm. “Yeah, that might be a first,” Clark said about breaking a record two days later.
Against the Storm, Clark also became the first player with 20 points and 10 assists in fewer than 25 minutes — she played 23 — and the first player to start a season with four consecutive games of at least 20 points and five assists, per ESPN.
Here’s a look at the all-time 20-point, 10-assist leaderboard. The only other player in double digits is Courtney Vandersloot, who has played nearly eight times as many games as Clark.
Most 20-point, 10-assist games in WNBA history
Clark was limited to 13 games last season due to an array of lower-body injuries, but she’s fully healthy now and has been extremely productive to start the season. Through four games, Clark is averaging 24.3 points, five rebounds and nine assists, and is tied for fourth in the league in scoring and leads the league in assists. It’s still early, but her scoring and assist numbers would both be career-highs.
“I think her burst [is back],” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I think you can see it not just in taking off with the ball in her hands, but you can see it in the lift in her shot. You can see she looks strong, she looks loaded in her actions. I think you can tell it by the way she’s getting to the free-throw line, too. I think her movement patterns and her burst are back.”
Despite Clark’s big numbers, the Fever are just 2-2, with their defeats coming by a combined five points. They’ll have a chance to add to the win column and climb above .500 for the first time this season on Wednesday when they return to the court against the expansion Portland Fire.
