No storm could dampen Caitlin Clark's historic night as she led the Indiana Fever to a 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday. The rookie sensation shattered the WNBA record for most assists in a season by a rookie, recording her 226th assist. The previous record of 225, set by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998, was broken by Clark in just her 28th game, compared to Penicheiro's 30. Clark finished the game with nine assists, bringing her season total to 232, with 12 games still left to play, giving her a chance to set a nearly unbeatable record. She set the new mark with a spectacular three-fourths court pass to Kelsey Mitchell, who completed the play with a layup, electrifying the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd.
Ticha Penicheiro was thrilled to see her long-standing WNBA rookie assist record broken by Caitlin Clark. On social media, she expressed her excitement, saying, "Records are meant to be broken…it shows growth and evolution. Can’t think of a better player to break it!!" This shows Penicheiro's support for the new generation of players and the continued progress of women's basketball.
Caitlin Clark expressed her gratitude toward Ticha Penicheiro during her postgame interview on ESPN, saying, "Ticha has been a big fan of mine ever since I was in college, and somebody that has always been right there to congratulate me or just be somebody that's offered advice. So to pass somebody like her, I'm just forever thankful that she's been such a legend in our game. But it's super cool. Hopefully, there's a lot more of those." This shows Clark's appreciation for the support and mentorship from a WNBA legend like Penicheiro.
Indiana's offense continued to gain momentum after halftime and caught fire in the fourth quarter. The Fever were nearly unstoppable, hitting eight out of nine three-point attempts in the final frame. They dominated the quarter, outscoring the Storm 33-17, effectively sealing the victory well before the final buzzer. A key contributor to the fourth-quarter surge was Lexie Hull, who had a career night, making six three-pointers.
**Caitlin Clark's Stats vs. Seattle Storm:**
- **Points:** 23
- **Assists:** 9
- **Rebounds:** 5
- **Blocks:** 2
- **Steals:** 1
- **Turnovers:** 5
This marked her third consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clark shot 9-for-19 from the field and 3-for-10 from beyond the arc, with all three of her made three-pointers coming in the second half.