Caitlin Clark continues to make history in the WNBA—but her latest record might be her most exciting of the season.
On July 6, the 22-year-old basketball star became the first rookie in WNBA history to score a triple-double, as well as the first Indiana Fever player to achieve the milestone in general. For those who don’t know, a player earns a triple-double by reaching double-digit statistics in three of five categories: assists, blocks, points, rebounds, and steals.
The Indiana Fever came in hot against the New York Liberty in the first half of the game, only to fall behind for a bit in the second. However, Clark had an incredible run, eventually hitting a triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds—and the game wasn’t even over yet.
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With Clark having almost recorded a triple-double in the Fever’s recent game against the Phoenix Mercury, fans seemed to be ready for this historic moment—instantly granting Clark a standing ovation in the packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse stadium. By the end of the game, the Fever won against the Liberty (83-78). Clark earned a total of 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds.
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Of course, she also hit some deep three-pointers, like this one:
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Clark seemed in high spirits after the game, throwing up a “W” hand gesture when asked how she was feeling. “Another one of these,” she said, adding, “Shout out to the fans, though. They were unreal. They got us there through the fourth [quarter]. Happy for our group. That’s a big one. Got to keep stacking them.”
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Her team was thrilled for Clark as well, celebrating by pouring water all over the point guard, who retaliated by hugging Fever coach Christie Sides while soaking wet.
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Caitlin Clark had been a record breaker prior to her first season with the WNBA, having earned the number one spot in this year’s draft after becoming the the NCAA’s top scorer in all of college basketball. However, her transition to the WNBA has not been as smooth as some expected. The Fever started the season with a string of losses, including three against the New York Liberty. This game marks the Fever’s ninth win of the season out of 22 games.
Her coach looked visibly shocked by her press conference response.
The recent decision to leave Clark off this year’s Olympic roster sparked a massive debate among WNBA viewers, though her fanbase will get to see Clark face off against Team USA in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game. Clark will be joined on Team WNBA by fellow record-breaking rookie Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, as well as her own Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. You can see the rest of the lineup here.
Team WNBA is partially determined by fan votes (though they’re not the only deciding factor), and Clark earned the most of any player with 700,735. Boston came in second with 618,680 votes, while Reese, who is currently leading the league in double-doubles, earned 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 upcoming team-up with Reese. “I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else. This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everybody on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise.”
The All-Star team will play Team USA on July 20 in Phoenix. Team USA, of course, is stacked with renowned vets, including A’Ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and NY Liberty players Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. While the game is already sold out, you can watch it all go down on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.