Caitlin Clark continues to make history in the WNBA, but her most recent performance may be her most exciting of the season.
On July 6, the 22-year-old basketball star became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double, as well as the first Indiana Fever player to do it overall. A triple-double is earned when a player has double-digit statistics in three of the five categories: assists, blocks, points, rebounds, and steals.
The Indiana Fever started strong against the New York Liberty, only to fall behind in the second half. Clark, on the other hand, had a tremendous run through the first three quarters, finishing with a triple-double of 15 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds—and the game hadn’t even ended yet.
After nearly recording a triple-double in the Fever’s latest game against the Phoenix Mercury, fans appeared to be prepared for this historic event, giving Clark a standing ovation in the full Gainbridge Fieldhouse venue. The Fever won the game against the Liberty 83-78. Caitlin had a total of 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds.
Of course, she made some deep three-pointers, such as this one:
Clark seemed upbeat after the game, making a “W” hand gesture when asked how she felt. “Another one of these,” she continued, “but shout out to the supporters. They were unreal. They got us there through the fourth quarter. I’m happy for our group. That’s a large one. You’ve need to keep piling them.
Her squad was also pleased for Clark, and they celebrated by splashing water all over the point guard, who returned by hugging Fever coach Christie Sides while soaked.
Caitlin Clark was a record-breaker prior to her debut season with the WNBA, earning the first overall pick in this year’s draft after becoming the NCAA’s leading scorer in all of collegiate basketball. However, her move to the WNBA has not gone as smoothly as some predicted. The Fever began the season with a streak of losses, including three to the New York Liberty. This is the Fever’s eighth win of the season, out of 22 games.
The recent decision to leave Clark off this year’s Olympic team caused a heated controversy among WNBA fans, yet Clark will face Team USA in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game. Clark will be joined on Team WNBA by Chicago Sky’s record-breaking rookie Angel Reese, as well as Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. You can view the rest of the lineup here.
Fan votes play a role in determining WNBA teams (albeit they are not the main deciding factor), and Clark received the most votes of any player with 700,735. Boston finished second with 618,680 votes, while Reese, who currently leads the league in double-doubles, received 381,518 votes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even with USA Basketball or anything like that,” Clark said of her prospective partnership with Reese. “I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t detract from everything else. This is a fantastic accomplishment for the entire Team USA and Team WNBA. They all deserve equal praise.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even with USA Basketball or anything like that,” Clark said of her prospective partnership with Reese. “I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t detract from everything else. This is a fantastic accomplishment for the entire Team USA and Team WNBA. They all deserve equal praise.”
