Caitlin Clark’s impact is visible in boardrooms. Selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, she entered the league amid lofty expectations. Rather than buckle under scrutiny, she has thrived, averaging 23.5 points, 10.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game through the midpoint of the 2025 season.
Her shooting splits—45.5% from the field and a blistering 47.4% from beyond the arc—further illustrate a balance of scoring prowess and court vision that few rookies have ever demonstrated.
Despite the narrow defeat in Atlanta on May 20 ET, Clark’s performance bore witness to her unshakable poise, where she clutched another double-double. It was yet another instance of the Fever rookie shouldering star duties and showcasing a veteran’s mentality in do-or-die moments. By surpassing Sabrina Ionescu and Diana Taurasi on that exclusive list, Clark didn’t merely extend her rookie résumé—she rewrote a chapter of WNBA lore.
Fever Star Caitlin Clark’s Latest Feat Dethrones Ionescu and Taurasi
On the tantalizing night of May 20 ET, the Indiana Fever’s rising star transformed a tight contest into a historic showcase, leaving fans and pundits alike holding their breath until the final buzzer.
In a nail-biter against the Atlanta Dream, Caitlin Clark had poured in 27 points and orchestrated 11 assists—her sixth game of the season with at least 25 points and 10 assists—sealing her place atop a milestone once held by the league’s greatest guards.
Most games with 25 points and 10 assists in WNBA history 🤯
🔹 Caitlin Clark — 6 (42 games played)
🔹 Sabrina Ionescu — 5 (144 games played)
🔹 Diana Taurasi — 3 (565 games played) pic.twitter.com/CmsRFlOkb7— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints)
The game itself was a classic thriller. After Atlanta surged to a nine-point lead in the third quarter, Clark missed back-to-back three-pointers, but her 27 points were a saving grace. As predicted by then, Atlanta won by 91–90.
According to ClutchPoints, in just 42 professional outings, Clark has eclipsed Sabrina Ionescu’s mark of five such performances over 144 games and outpaced Diana Taurasi’s three in 565 appearances.
This rapid ascent underscores her seamless transition from collegiate superstar to WNBA standout and also signals a new era in which rookies can immediately challenge veteran benchmarks.
Off the court, Clark’s influence is reshaping the WNBA’s audience profile. According to The Sun, her presence on the hardwood drove the league to announce that Indiana’s opener against Chicago drew an average of 2.7 million viewers, peaking at 3.1 million—the highest regular-season audience in 25 years.
Networks have since scheduled primetime matchups to capitalize on the star power of Clark and her burgeoning rivalry with Angel Reese.
Clark’s achievement also echoes through WNBA record books in other respects. She shattered the rookie 3-point field goal record with 122 triples in 2024, surpassing Rhyne Howard.
According to ESPN, she became the first rookie ever to tally a triple-double, joining the elite list of players with three career triple-doubles alongside Candace Parker (3) and Sabrina Ionescu (4). Clark gained her third one on May 17 against Chicago.
Caitlin Clark made history on Opening Day 🔥
She recorded a triple-double (20 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST) to lead the @indianafever to a dominant win.
She’s now the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 3 career triple-doubles (41 games)
…and ties Candace Parker for 3rd-most… pic.twitter.com/50uDmazdo8
— WNBA (@WNBA)
Comparisons to Ionescu and Taurasi now extend beyond scoring to sustained excellence. Ionescu established herself as a premier two-way guard but reached the five-game 25-and-10 plateau only after five seasons.
Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and 10,646 points in 565 games, managed three such games across a career spanning two decades.
Clark’s velocity in matching and exceeding their feats emphasizes a rare blend of scoring and facilitating that has critics revising the rookie narrative. And this is just one of her several feats since the Iowa star made her WNBA debut last season.
What’s Next for Clark?
As the Fever navigate a challenging midseason stretch, they do so with the confidence instilled by Clark’s dynamic leadership. They will host the New York Liberty on May 24 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana’s opponents will scramble to devise new defensive schemes—zone overloads, box-and-one traps, whatever it takes to slow Clark’s wizardry. Yet history suggests she’ll adapt.
With the season barely past its halfway mark, one question looms large: How much higher can this spectacular rookie soar?