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Caitlin Clark sets WNBA rookie record, scores 23 in Fever's win over Storm

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 27 points

kari anderson · ian casselberry
·3 min read
832

The Indiana Fever look like a new team since the WNBA's Paris Olympics break, winning their second consecutive game after a 92–75 home victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday.

Guard play was the major difference in the Fever's win, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring 27 points (hitting 5-of-8 3-pointers), Caitlin Clark tallying 23 and Lexie Hull adding 22 (shooting 6-for-7 from 3). Aliyah Boston grabbed 15 rebounds for Indiana, which improved to 13-15 for the season (8-5 at home).

Clark earned her 225th career assist in the second quarter of the game, passing Ticha Penicheiro's 1998 record for the most assists by a rookie in WNBA history. (Although there are conflicting statistics on how many assists Penicheiro recorded for the record — the WNBA says 224, while ESPN says 225 — Clark passed the record regardless.)

"Ticha's 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," Clark said in a postgame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe. "To pass somebody like her, I'm just forever thankful that she's been such a legend in our game."

The Fever posted a video from Penicheiro on social media after Clark broke the record.

"I was always mesmerized about your passing, your court vision and how you make your teammates better," Penicheiro said. "So this record is in great hands and continue to do what you do, continue to elevate your game and the women's game and the WNBA."

In addition to her 23 points, the rookie standout ended with nine assists, five rebounds and two blocks. Clark leads the WNBA in assists, averaging 8.3 per game.

Both teams got off to a slow start, with a low-scoring first quarter ending with Seattle holding a 17-13 lead. Indiana fought back in the second, retaking the lead in the final minutes of the half and holding on for a 35-34 lead heading into the locker room.

The Storm, who have struggled with 3-pointers this season, had a solid start from beyond the arc, going 4-for-6 in the first quarter and ending 5-for-12 at halftime. The Fever, meanwhile, struggled more from 3: They went 0-for-6 on 3-pointers to start the game before Mitchell broke through in the second quarter, and finished 3-for-13 on 3-pointers in the first half. Both teams were less than 50% on field goals.

The Fever came out stronger in the second half, going on an 8-2 run to start the third quarter that included a pair of big 3s from Mitchell and Clark. The Storm pushed back to tie things up again halfway through the quarter and kept Indiana from holding a lead for long. The Fever entered the final frame with a narrow 59-58 lead before outscoring Seattle 33-17 in the fourth.

Jewell Loyd led Seattle with 26 points, while Nneka Ogwumike continues to be dominant on both sides of the court, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals. Ezi Magbegor contributed nine points, seven rebounds and five blocks. The Storm dropped to 17-10 (6-7 on the road), putting them third in the Western Conference and fifth in the league.

The Fever get nearly a week off, with their next game on Saturday versus the Minnesota Lynx at 8 p.m. ET. The Storm finish their road trip at the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.