Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has capped off her record-breaking rookie season with yet another historic achievement. After an illustrious college career at Iowa, where she became the NCAA Division I all-time leader in points (3,951), made 3-pointers (548), and made field goals (1,293), Clark brought her momentum to the WNBA and rewrote the record books in her debut season.
Clark’s rookie campaign included setting WNBA records for:
Most points scored or assisted on in a season (1,106)
Most All-Star votes received (700,735)
Most double-digit scoring games by a rookie (35)
Most double-doubles by a rookie guard (14)
She also led the league in:
Assists per game (8.4)
Total assists
Made 3-pointers (122)
Among rookies, Clark dominated in points per game (19.2), assists per game, steals per game (1.3), made field goals (242), made 3-pointers, and minutes per game (35.4). She shattered several rookie records, including:
Single-season points (769)
Single-season assists (337)
Single-game assists (19)
Made 3-pointers in a single game (seven)
Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career assists, the only rookie ever to record a triple-double, and the first player in league history to lead in both assists per game and made 3-pointers in the same season.
Her accomplishments earned her numerous accolades, including Time Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year. On Tuesday, the Indiana Fever announced another major milestone: Clark was named the 2024 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. She is just the fourth women’s basketball player in the 93-year history of the award, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).
Clark received 35 of 74 votes, finishing ahead of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles (25 votes) and Olympic boxer Imane Khelif (four votes).
“Caitlin Clark raised the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA,” wrote the AP’s Doug Feinberg.
Clark’s rookie resume also includes:
Unanimous AP WNBA Rookie of the Year (alongside teammate Aliyah Boston as the only two players in Fever history to win the honor)
AP All-WNBA First Team and All-Rookie Team selections
Fourth-place finish in MVP voting
Four WNBA Rookie of the Month honors
Three-time WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week
Eastern Conference Player of the Month
“She’s brought unprecedented attention both in the building and through viewership to a sport that was deserving of it but hadn’t yet received it,” said Rebecca Lobo. “There’s never been anything like this. The progression from 1995-97 was a baby step—this is a giant leap forward. I’ve never seen anything like it. The sport has more attention than it’s ever had.”
