Despite Caitlin Clark scoring only 15 points in her first playoff appearance this season against the Las Vegas Aces, the Indiana Fever guard’s regular season dominance put her in a league of her own even before she entered the postseason. The 24-year-old has been the center of some criticism amidst her recent scoring slump, but Clark’s impact on the Fever has led her to a record no other WNBA player has achieved, as sports broadcaster Emily Austin posted on X.
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“Caitlin Clark just became the first player in WNBA history to finish top 3 in scoring AND top 2 in assists in the same season. You can debate whatever you want about women’s basketball. You cannot debate the impact this girl has had on the game,” Austin wrote on X.
This dual-ranking is rare because elite scorers typically prioritize shot volume over playmaking. Clark’s balance is unprecedented, as she has been undeniable all season for the Fever. She finished just behind Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell on the leaderboard for most points averaged in the 2026 regular season, with 22.3 points per game. Her impact was not only in scoring, as she also emerged as the primary playmaker for the Fever, logging a season average of 8.3 assists. This landed her just behind the Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas on the list of most assists made this season.
Her assists have gotten her on the leaderboard in 2024 as well. Before missing almost all of the 2025 season due to a groin injury, Clark was lighting up the scorecard in her WNBA debut year with the Fever. After being drafted first overall by them, she ended the season with 337 assists and found herself leading the league in average assists made per game, at 8.4 APG. That season, Alyssa Thomas was behind Clark, with 7.9 APG. She also broke the WNBA record for most assists in a single game that year, as she logged 19 assists against the Dallas Wings on July 17, 2024.
2024 also saw Clark lead the league in average regular-season three-pointers made, at 3.0, while Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale followed her with 2.9 three-pointers made per game. In her debut year, Clark was nominated for not one, but two ESPY Awards: Best Record-Breaking Performance as well as Best WNBA Player.
She hasn’t missed a beat after being away for a whole season, as her dominance continued in 2026. She was part of the elite three in the Fever – accompanied by Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston – that led the Fever to a 28-16 record and the sixth seed in the 2026 playoffs. While Mitchell led the team in scoring and Boston in rebounds, steals, and blocks, Clark took the mantle for most assists for the Fever. She made history when she became the first player in WNBA history to record 800+ points and 300+ assists in a single season, finishing the regular season with 891 points and 333 assists. Her incredible season after injury recently even earned her the title of AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Clark’s impact on the game since her draft cannot be overstated. Her presence alone has drawn millions of new eyes to the WNBA, even establishing a new phrase in the league – ‘The Caitlin Clark Effect’. The cultural impact that Clark has had on the game can be measured through the surging attendance at Fever games, the massive growth in television views, and even a jump in merchandise sales! Even her draft night became the most-viewed WNBA telecast since 2000, with 2.45 million viewers.
Clark made her regular-season debut on May 14, 2024, and to no one’s surprise, the broadcast became the most-viewed WNBA game since 2002. Dr. Ryan Brewer assessed that in 2024, Caitlin Clark was the cause of 26.5% of the WNBA’s activity. He reported that for every six tickets sold in the W, one was because of Clark.
Now, as Caitlin Clark and the Fever make their way back to Gainsbridge Fieldhouse for Game 2 of their playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces, it will be interesting to see how many Fever fans show up to support the face of the franchise. Fans will hope to see Clark return to her elite regular-season form and lead the Fever to their first title since 2012.