- The Washington Times - Thursday, July 18, 2024

Caitlin Clark won’t stop breaking records. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer set a new WNBA record Wednesday night with 19 assists in Dallas against the Wings.

Though Clark’s Indiana Fever ultimately lost the game 101-93, the rookie phenom’s teammates and coaches praised her unparalleled performance.

“Nineteen assists is incredible,” Fever coach Christie Sides said. “That’s incredible.”

“She’s gonna say it means nothing,” forward Aliyah Boston noted after the game. “But I think it’s pretty cool. I think that’s pretty cool. So, sorry.”

The team-oriented Clark deflected the kudos in her postgame press conference, instead highlighting other players on the Fever.

“I just try to set my teammates up for success,” Clark said. “I think at times I can almost over-pass. … But especially with [Boston], I’m just looking to set her up so much; my eyes are always on a post player, whether that’s [Boston] or whoever’s in the game at the time.”

The Iowa product’s rookie season hasn’t been fully smooth. The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft has struggled with turnovers to start her career. With 14 games remaining, Clark has already surpassed the WNBA record for the most turnovers in a season.

After Wednesday’s unprecedented performance, the WNBA announced that Clark would not participate in the 3-point contest before the All-Star game. League officials noted Thursday that Clark and defending 3-point champion Sabrina Ionescu declined invitations to participate in the competition.

Ionescu, Clark and other WNBA stars who were left off the U.S. Olympic team will play the Olympians on Saturday in a tune-up game for the U.S. squad.

• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.

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