Candace Parker. Tamika Catchings. A’ja Wilson. Breanna Stewart. Elena Delle Donne. Maya Moore.
These are simply a number of the WNBA gamers who’ve had spectacular, eye-opening rookie seasons.
Add to that listing Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 choose within the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Not since Parker—who went on to be the primary and solely participant to win each Rookie of the 12 months and MVP in the identical season—has a rookie impacted the League and everybody and all the things round it as a lot as Clark.
Name it the Caitlin Clark Impact.
SLAM 252 that includes Caitlin Clark is obtainable now.
Document-breaking performances. Recreation sell-outs throughout the nation. Followers packing up and touring wherever she goes. Extra eyeballs than ever on the W. Clark has been the speak of the W.
However there’s a flip facet to it, too. Heated arguments and debates on sports activities speak exhibits and throughout social media are nonstop, all about Clark and her impact on the League. Is she getting an excessive amount of press? Is she being painted because the WNBA savior when there are different gamers who’ve been right here holding up the League for thus lengthy? Is dependent upon who you ask—and the time of day you ask.
One might argue that by no means has a lot stress been placed on a participant coming into the League. Expectations have been excessive from the soar, even whereas Clark was nonetheless in faculty at Iowa. There, she set the NCAA Division I scoring document with 3,951 whole factors. A lightning fast level guard with quick palms, she additionally grew to become the Large Ten’s all-time help chief (1,144) and hit essentially the most three- pointers in a single season with 201. So, coming into the League, all eyes have been expectedly on her.
However, mockingly, Clark has not stated a lot in regards to the hype and fanfare surrounding her first season within the W. She seems to have chosen, as a substitute, to simply play her sport and seemingly be content material with breaking document after document after document and serving to her Indiana Fever staff do the identical. All of the whereas, she is helping in a model of pleasure for ladies’s basketball, the likes of which haven’t been seen shortly.
The listing of WNBA information damaged by Clark is lengthy and exhaustive. There are virtually too many to call. They embody setting the WNBA single-game help document (19) in opposition to the Dallas Wings, recording the primary triple-double for a rookie in WNBA historical past in opposition to the New York Liberty, and breaking the document for many assists in a season by a rookie.
You may’t miss tying the rookie single-game three-pointers document—Clark made seven of these early within the season within the Fever’s sport in opposition to the Washington Mystics. Different information embody 21 video games with at the very least 15 factors and 5 assists, essentially the most ever in a single WNBA season, and changing into the primary rookie in WNBA historical past to document 400 factors, 100 rebounds and 150 assists in a season.
Clark was additionally named to the WNBA All-Star Recreation in July and completed with 10 assists, essentially the most by a rookie within the prestigious sport’s historical past.
This unbelievable rookie season has additionally included a not-so-great statistic: She recorded essentially the most turnovers in a debut sport in WNBA historical past, with 10 within the Fever’s opener in opposition to the Connecticut Solar. She additionally has essentially the most turnovers in a single season by any participant in WNBA historical past. There’s undoubtedly work to be achieved in that division, however total, the Caitlin Clark Impact can’t be denied.
And it has prolonged past simply her particular person sport.
The Fever clinched its first playoff spot since 2016 and at the moment sit at No. 6 as we head to print. As well as, the WNBA introduced that the 2025 All-Star Recreation will happen in Indianapolis. The twenty first WNBA All-Star Recreation, set for Saturday, July 19, 2025, marks the primary time that Indy will host the League’s midseason showcase.
The Fever—already on an upward trajectory after final 12 months’s acquisition of No. 1 choose Aliyah Boston, together with Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and NaLyssa Smith—have soared to new heights with the addition of Clark. This beginning 5 earned a playoff spot after occurring a scorching streak following the Olympic break, rattling off seven wins in eight video games. Collectively, they’ve reworked right into a staff whose ceiling retains rising.
Sizzling capturing from Hull has landed her in first place within the League in three-point share (49.2 %). Mitchell, who has been on her personal private tear this summer season, is fifth in three-pointers made this season (96) and ninth in factors per sport. Clark is the assists chief, averaging 8.5 per sport and is first within the League in three-pointers made at 111. Boston is fifth in field-goal share (52.8 %) and eighth in blocks per sport (1.3).
In August, the Fever led your complete League in scoring (89.7 ppg) and hit a season-best 100 factors in a win in opposition to the Chicago Sky on August 30. Indiana additionally knocked down essentially the most three-point area targets within the month with 72.
On August 16, the Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 98-89, marking the primary time because the 2015 common season that Indiana has swept its regular-season sequence with Phoenix. Lower than two weeks later, Indiana toppled the Solar, 84-80, for the primary time since 2021.
The staff’s success has additionally prolonged to its coach, Christie Sides, who formally entered the Coach of the 12 months chat and was named WNBA Coach of the Month for August after guiding the Fever to a 5-1 document. Sides is the primary head coach in franchise historical past to earn the glory.
Clark has racked up accolades League-wide as nicely. In August, she was named each WNBA Japanese Convention Participant of the Month and WNBA Rookie of the Month. It was the third time she earned Rookie of the Month honors, having additionally obtained the popularity in Could and July, whereas marking the primary time she was named Participant of the Month. She was not too long ago acknowledged because the WNBA Japanese Convention Participant of the Week for the second time in her younger profession, and she or he additionally leads her rookie class in scoring, assists, steals, free-throw capturing and minutes performed. And on September 13, she broke the WNBA’s all-time assists document, beforehand held by the legendary Ticha Penicheiro.
The participant many name the feminine Stephen Curry has been underneath the microscope since earlier than she entered the League, and the warmth has been turned up all season lengthy. Whether or not you agree or not, whether or not you’re a fan or not, Clark has handled the stress, lived as much as the expectations (even exceeded them in some ways) and has cemented her title within the sport after just one 12 months as a professional.
The Caitlin Clark expertise has solely simply begun however it’s already in full impact
Buckle up.
Images by way of Getty Photographs.
