Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark achieved a monumental milestone on Saturday, recording the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history. This historic performance occurred during Indiana’s thrilling 83-78 victory over the league-leading New York Liberty in Indianapolis.
Clark, who wears No. 22, secured her triple-double by pulling down her 10th rebound at the 7:07 mark of the fourth quarter. She completed the game with 19 points, a season-high-tying 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. Notably, Clark accomplished this feat in just the 22nd game of her WNBA career, making it even more remarkable. This was also the first triple-double in the history of the Indiana Fever franchise, which was established in 2000.
During her illustrious college career at Iowa, Clark was no stranger to triple-doubles, amassing 17 of them and leading the Hawkeyes to victory in all those games. Despite her individual success, Clark expressed greater excitement over the Fever’s victory, which ended a nine-game losing streak to the Liberty. This season, the Fever had suffered three losses to New York, including two 36-point blowouts.
The Fever’s victory was a testament to their resilience. They rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Liberty 28-12 in the final 8:10 of the game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this comeback tied for the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in WNBA history against the team with the league’s best record. The Liberty entered the game with an impressive 17-3 record. Clark’s triple-double was also the first in league history against a team holding the best record at that time.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, had flirted with triple-doubles earlier in the season, notably missing by one rebound in the Fever’s victory at Phoenix on June 30. Her performance has made the Rookie of the Year race particularly exciting, as she competes with Chicago forward Angel Reese. Reese recently tied the WNBA’s consecutive double-double record in the Sky’s victory at Seattle. Both Clark and Reese will showcase their talents in the upcoming All-Star Game on July 20, representing Team WNBA against Team USA.
Clark’s historic achievement and the Fever’s dramatic victory highlight her incredible potential and the bright future ahead for both her and the Indiana Fever.
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