Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for assists by a rookie in a single season during a Sunday game against Seattle Storm.
The Iowa-hailing player surpassed the record previously held by Ticha Penicheiro, who had 225 assists in 1998 while playing for the Sacramento Monarchs.
“Super proud of you,” the Portuguese guard said in a video shared on X congratulating Clark. “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. And continue to do what you do, continue to elevate your game and the women’s game and the WNBA.”
The WNBA season was shorter during Penicheiro’s rookie year, per The Athletic, but it took her 30 games to reach the 225 tally. Clark exceeded that mark with 28 games in the season, leaving 12 more match-ups for her to bolster the figure.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Penicheiro added in the post’s caption. “It shows growth and evolution. Can’t think of a better player to break it!!”
Clark has already made headlines for setting records in her first year going pro, achieving the most assists in a single game (19, in a game against the Dallas Wings) and becoming the first rookie to earn a triple-double, which is when a player garners double-digit scores in the three categories of points, rebounds and assists — both feats logged last month.
Alongside Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese, Clark will be featured in the next NBA 2K video game edition, releasing Sept. 6.