Caitlin Clark Makes WNBA History AGAIN, Dominates New York Liberty and Surpasses Rival Angel Reese in Rookie of the Year Race

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has accomplished something no rookie has ever done before in the history of the league.

Clark dropped 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in an 83-78 victory over the New York Liberty.

That marked the first time in the WNBA’s history that a rookie has recorded a triple-double.

The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft was one rebound shy of a triple-double two games ago in an 88-82 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Clark had 11 points in the first quarter, making 3 of 4 from 3-point range. She topped double figures in assists in the third quarter and passed the 10-rebound mark in the fourth.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has accomplished something no rookie has ever done before in the history of the league.

Clark dropped 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in an 83-78 victory over the New York Liberty.

That marked the first time in the WNBA’s history that a rookie has recorded a triple-double.

The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft was one rebound shy of a triple-double two games ago in an 88-82 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Clark had 11 points in the first quarter, making 3 of 4 from 3-point range. She topped double figures in assists in the third quarter and passed the 10-rebound mark in the fourth.

Caitlin Clark Makes WNBA History AGAIN, Dominates New York Liberty and Surpasses Rival Angel Reese in Rookie of the Year Racehttps://t.co/qHr4mUMRFs pic.twitter.com/QGK5uTxLns

— David Samuel (@SamDave2023) July 6, 2024

New York’s Sabrina Ionescu answered with a 3-pointer but missed one the next time down the court with a chance to give the Liberty the lead.

Boston made two free throws with 17 seconds left and Mitchell hit two with 11 seconds remaining to wrap up the upset.

Boston scored 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and had eight rebounds for the Fever. Mitchell scored 14, topping double figures for the ninth-straight game.

NaLyssa Smith, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season.

Ionescu scored 22 to lead New York (17-4), which had won five straight games. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finished with 20 points, making four 3-pointers.

Breanna Stewart added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jonquel Jones had 12 rebounds to go with six points and three steals.

Clark hit a 3-pointer and followed with a layup to spark Indiana to an 8-0 run to begin the game. She turned a steal into a 3-pointer to give the Fever their biggest lead at 24-12 with 3:04 left in the quarter.

Laney-Hamilton hit a jumper with two seconds left as New York scored the final six points to get within six heading to the second period.

Clark’s turnaround fadeaway jumper gave the Fever a 31-20 lead with 7:48 left in the second quarter. Jones scored the final five points in a 12-0 run from there and the Liberty took their first lead.

Smith answered with a layup to end a scoring drought that reached 5:06 and Indiana regained the lead.

Stewart, who averaged 22.7 points in three earlier wins this season over the Fever, made two free throws in the final minute to get New York within 39-38 at halftime.

Laney-Hamilton hit a go-ahead jumper and Ionescu followed with a basket and a 3-pointer off a steal by Stewart to give New York a 57-50 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter. Laney-Hamilton hit a pull-up jumper with three seconds left and the Liberty took a 62-55 advantage into the final period.

Indiana beat New York for the first time since posting a 92-86 road win on May 13, 2022. The Fever lead the all-time series 50-41.