Clark is tasked with doing more for her team than any rookie in the class, including those veteran first-year players with time overseas. And she’s doing it well, even if it’s not to the standard fans have become accustomed to when she played in the Big Ten. The level of talent in the WNBA was never going to allow for that immediate scoring success, nor is that what the Fever need from her. Plus, she’s facing the most defensive pressure any rookie might have ever seen in league history.
The Fever needed a floor general to feed reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston and former No. 2 overall draft pick NaLyssa Smith, as well as find guards Kelsey Mitchell and Katie Lou Samuelson on the wing. And she’s done that incredibly well.
Already, she owns the franchise’s single-season assists record and secured her first career triple-double. It was the first triple-double by a rookie in the league’s 28-year history. The game before the break, she broke Courtney Vandersloot’s WNBA single-game assists record with 19.At the All-Star game, she led Team WNBAto a strong first half and fell one assist shy of Sue Bird’s All-Star record.9The rookie could have had the mark if she played more down the stretch, but Clark waved off subbing back in for Ogunbowale’s record performance.
Clark leads the league in assists, lifting the Fever from 11th in assists (18 apg) to sixth this year (20.2). Those numbers could be higher as teammates aren’t always expecting Clark’s passes, though recently players are more prepared for her behind-the-back bounces on drives to the basket. In seven of Clark’s past nine games, she’s had double-digit assists and all were double-doubles.
Her current average would break the rookie record set by legendary point guard Ticha Penicheiro (7.5 apg for Sacramento, 1998) and make her only the fourth rookie averaging at least six assists per game. Not
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