Candace Parker. Tamika catching. Aja Wilson. Breana Stewart. Elena Delle Donne. Maya Moore.
These are just a few of the WNBA players who had impressive, eye-opening rookie seasons.
Add Kaitlyn Clarke, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, to that list.
Not since Parker, who went on to be the first and only player to win both of them Rookie of the year and MVP in the same season. the rookie has affected the League and everyone and everything around it as much as Clark.
Call it the Caitlin Clarke effect.
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Record performances. Selling games nationwide. Fans pack up and travel wherever he goes. More than ever, W. Clark has become the talk of W.
But there is a flip side to that. On sports talk shows and social media, heated arguments and debates are non-stop about Clark and his impact on the league. Does he get stressed out a lot? Is she being painted as the savior of the WNBA when there are other players who have protected the League here for so long? Depends on who you ask and the time of day.
Arguably, there has never been so much pressure on a player entering the League. Expectations were high from the jump, even when Clark was still in college at Iowa State. There, he set the NCAA Division I record with 3,951 total points. A lightning-quick point guard with quick hands, he also became the Big Ten’s all-time assists leader (1,144) and made the most three-pointers in a season with 201. Thus, entering the League, all eyes were expected on him. .
But, ironically, Clark hasn’t said much about the hype and hype surrounding his first season at WW. He’s apparently chosen to just play his game and apparently be content with breaking record after record and helping himself to Indiana. Team Fever does the same. At the same time, she’s championing a spirit of women’s basketball the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a long time.
The list of WNBA records broken by Clark is long and exhaustive. Almost too many to mention. These include setting the WNBA record for assists in a single game (19) against the Dallas Wings, recording the first triple-double in WNBA history for a rookie against the New York Liberty, and breaking the record for most assists by a rookie in a season.
You can’t miss tying the rookie three-point game record. Clark made seven of them in the Fever’s season opener against the Washington Mystics. Other records include 21 games with at least 15 points and 5 assists, the most ever in a WNBA season, and becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds and 150 assists in a season.
Clarke also played in the WNBA All-Star Game in July and finished with 10 assists, the most by a rookie in the history of the prestigious game.
This incredible rookie season also includes some not-so-great stats; she recorded the most turnovers in a debut game in WNBA history with 10 in the Fever’s opener against the Connecticut Sun. She also has the most turnovers in a single season by any player in WNBA history. There’s definitely some work to be done in that department, but overall, the Caitlin Clarke effect can’t be denied.
And it came out of just his individual game.
The Fever clinched their first playoff spot since 2016 and are currently in 6th place as we go to print. In addition, the WNBA announced that the 2025 All-Star Game will be played in Indianapolis. The 21st WNBA All-Star Game, set for Saturday, July 19, 2025, marks the first time Indy will host the League’s midseason showcase.
The Fever, already on an upward trajectory after acquiring last year’s No. 1 pick Aaliyah Boston, along with Kelsey Mitchell, Lexi Hull and NaLissa Smith, have reached new heights with the addition of Clark. This starting five earned a playoff spot after a hot streak after the Olympic break, winning seven games in eight games. Together, they have transformed into a team whose ceiling continues to rise.
Hull’s hot shooting leads him in the league in three-point shooting (49.2 percent). Mitchell, who overcame a personal tear this summer, is fifth in three-pointers made this season (96) and ninth in points per game. Clark leads the team in assists, averaging 8.5 per game and leads the league with 111 points.
In August, the Fever led the entire league in scoring (89.7 ppg) and scored a season-best 100 points in an Aug. 30 win against the Chicago Sky. Indiana also knocked down the most three-point field goals for the month with 72. .
On August 16, the Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury 98-89, marking the first time since the 2015 regular season that Indiana finished its regular season with the Phoenix. Less than two weeks later, Indiana knocked off the Suns for the first time since 2021, 84-80.
The team’s success also extended to coach Christy Sides, who was named Coach of the Year and WNBA Coach of the Month for August, leading the Fever to a 5-1 record. Sides is the first head coach in franchise history to earn the honor.
Clark also earned All-League honors. In August, she was named both the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and the WNBA Rookie of the Month. It was the third time he won the Rookie of the Month award, having also won the honor in May and July, and the first time he was named Player of the Month. She was recently named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time in her young career, and she also leads her rookie class in scoring, assists, steals, free throws and minutes. And on September 13, she surpassed the WNBA all-time assists record previously held by the legendary Tycha Peniceiro.
The player many call the female Stephen Curry has been under the microscope since before he even entered the league, and has been on the rise all season. Whether you agree or not, whether you’re a fan or not, Clark has handled the pressure, lived up to expectations (even exceeded them in many ways) and cemented his name in the sport after just one year of turning pro. .
Caitlin Clarke’s experience has just begun, but it’s already in full effect
Whiten.
Photos via Getty Images.
