Caitlin Clark Receives Sweet Congratulations From Former WNBA Record-Holder After Record-Breaking Performance

The young star is now the league athlete with the most single-season assists by a rookie.

Caitlin Clark / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In her WNBA rookie season, Caitlin Clark is busy establishing herself as a phenom (much as she did in her college basketball years at Iowa).

The Indiana Fever guard has broken more than one record en route to a potential Rookie of the Year title, the most recent coming in the team’s victory over the Seattle Storm on Aug. 18. With nine assists on the night, the 22-year-old surpassed former league guard Ticha Penicheiro for the most assists recorded by a rookie in a single season. Clark now has 232 assists on the season, topping the previous record (set in 1998) of 224.

Penicheiro had nothing but sweet sentiments for the young star following her record-breaking performance. “Congratulations. A record that stood since 1998, and you come here and you break it,” she said in a video that the Indiana Fever posted to their Instagram. “Super proud of you. I know the work that you put in. A lot of people always talked about your shooting; I was always mesmerized about your passing, your court vision, and how you make your teammates better. So, this record is in great hands.”

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Penicheiro, 49, ended her message with a simple piece of advice for Clark: continue to “elevate” women’s basketball and the WNBA. Thanks, in part, to Clark, women’s basketball (college and professional) has been at the forefront of a newfound media focus on women’s sports. With each record broken and impressive stat recorded, the athlete is drawing greater attention to the game of basketball—and her game, in particular.