2024-08-29 13:30:02
Another game, another broken record.
Caitlin Clark became the WNBA rookie with the most 3s in league history Wednesday, when the first-year sensation connected on her 86th 3 of the season less than three minutes into the Indiana Fever’s 84-80 win over the Connecticut Sun. It was Indiana’s first win over the Sun in four tries this season.
Clark, who finished with 19 points, added to the record with three made 3s in the win. Rhyne Howard of Atlanta, the No. 1 pick in 2022, previously held the record with 85 made 3s in her first season. She was the 2022 Rookie of the Year.
The favorite right now to win 2024 Rookie of the Year honors, Clark chipped in five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block (she also had seven turnovers). She went 7-for-17 from the field, including 3-for-12 from 3.
It was an impressive win for the Fever, who are inching closer to a .500 record and securing a playoff spot; Indiana hasn’t been to the postseason since 2016 — Clark’s freshman year of high school — when it lost in the first round.
Connecticut jumped out to an 8-2 lead early before the Fever cranked out a 20-7 run to take a 33-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led 51-42 at half, and 69-66 at the end of the third. Tied 80-80 with 2:31 to play, Clark scored on a drive to the basket to give the Fever an advantage. After the teams traded missed shots, Lexie Hull iced the game with two made free throws.
All five Fever starters scored in double figures, led by Kelsey Mitchell, who had 23. The Fever shot 43.3% from beyond the arc, connecting on 13-of-30 3s.
It was a star-studded event Wednesday. Clark commands a crowd anywhere she goes, but she wasn’t the only celebrity athlete in the building, as Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and Gabby Thomas were also in attendance.
