Caitlin Clark, playing for the Indiana Fever, set a new record for rookie season scoring with a 3-pointer during the second half of their win against the Dallas Wings on Sunday. (Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark made history in an exhilarating game on Sunday, leading the Indiana Fever to a 110-109 victory over the Dallas Wings. Clark scored a career-best 35 points and added eight assists, making her rookie season unforgettable. Alongside Kelsey Mitchell, who contributed 30 points, the duo combined for 12 of Indiana's 16 three-pointers. This scoring frenzy helped Indiana tie their franchise record for most points in a game, making the win even sweeter.
Clark has now set a WNBA rookie record with 761 points in a single season, surpassing the previous mark of 744 points set by Seimone Augustus in 2006. Her 329 assists also set a new WNBA record, adding another feather to her cap.
Indiana, sitting at 20-19, secured the No. 6 spot for the upcoming playoffs despite two tough recent losses to the Las Vegas Aces, the defending champions. In the first round, Indiana will face the third-seeded Connecticut Sun, who dominated the Fever in three of their four regular-season matchups.
This high-energy game was notable not just for individual achievements but also for Indiana’s sharp shooting. The team hit 38 of their 76 shots and excelled from beyond the arc, matching their season high for three-pointers made. Although their free-throw shooting stood at just 47%, Indiana’s performance on the court more than made up for it.
The turning point came late in the game. With 6:35 remaining, Clark made a driving layup and quickly followed it up with another, thanks to a perfectly set screen from Temi Fagbenle. That play gave Indiana a 90-86 lead. Dallas’ Teaira McCowan fought back with a close-range basket to trim the lead, but Clark responded with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing Indiana's advantage to 97-88 with just four minutes left on the clock.
Despite a last-minute effort by Dallas, led by Arike Ogunbowale, who nailed a series of baskets and assists, the Wings couldn’t catch up. Ogunbowale’s layup sparked an 8-0 Dallas run, bringing the score to 97-96. But Indiana’s Mitchell drained a crucial three-pointer, and Damiris Dantas followed with two more long-range shots. These scores gave Indiana an insurmountable 106-98 lead with only a minute to go.
Dallas made one last push. Ogunbowale fed Natasha Howard for a jumper, then scored on a three-point play, bringing the game within one possession at 106-103 with just 41 seconds remaining. But Clark and Aliyah Boston each hit two free throws to hold off the Wings, who managed two late three-pointers in the final seconds but couldn’t close the gap.
Dallas, now on an eight-game losing streak, saw strong performances from Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally, who each scored 27 points, while Howard posted 26 points and 10 rebounds. However, the team couldn’t stop Clark’s history-making night.
Indiana has split their two previous games with Dallas this season, with each team winning at home and scoring over 100 points.
