Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA and took over. Amidst the talk of her getting a “reality check,” she gave the fans and even legends one. In the long list of on and off-court records, she broke one record that made her beyond just her “logo threes.” With 337 assists, she broke the single-season assist record months after breaking the single-game assist record with 19 against the Dallas Wings. 

“I just try to set my teammates up for success,” Clark had said. “I think at times I can almost overpass.” The Indiana Fever point guard is an expert facilitator. But this season, she got a chance to show her ability for only 13 games, courtesy of her multiple soft tissue injuries. And soon after she officially ended her campaign, her prized assist record was already gone.

Alyssa Thomas snatched back the record, the same one she had held before Clark took it away. The 2025 MVP candidate came into the game against Connecticut needing six assists to reclaim the mark. She set the new benchmark of 342 on a corner three from Kathryn Westbeld with 4:45 left in the second quarter, and went on to notch another double-double. Her 14-point, 10-assist outing ended in an 87-84 loss, but with the Mercury already locked into the playoffs, the celebrations could still continue.

It seems like a fitting revenge of some sort, as it came just days after Caitlin Clark clashed with her fiancé, DeWanna Bonner. After Lexie Hull was called for a foul, the two went at each other. “It’s not a f—— foul!” Clark yelled. She even did a waving gesture towards Bonner as if to get her to go away, while the veteran kept looking back at Clark and appeared to say some words. So there is definitely some bad blood there. However, even with the dampened mood, the Clark fandom rallied behind the fever star, arguing for her. 

Caitlin Clark’s Record Hailed by Fever Fans as Superior to Thomas

Caitlin Clark fans are arguably one of the most devoted. They turn up to stadiums just to watch her cheering from the bench. They line up to get her autograph and have made her the “It Girl” of the league. So when it came to Alyssa Thomas breaking one of her marquee records, they were quick to jump in to defend her. 

“CC is the standard,” one fan remarked. Nearly every week, records fall, and somehow Caitlin Clark’s name finds its way into the conversation. Just last week, Sonia Citron surpassed her for most double-digit games by a rookie. Kelsey Mitchell topped her single-season franchise scoring mark. Paige Bueckers has already erased several of Clark’s rookie records, though many still stand. While some focus on the constant turnover, another fan summed it up best: “Kinda puts in perspective how special CC rookie year was.”

Another fan wrote sarcastically, “Wow! So impressive! A veteran surpassing a rookie!!! Yay!” Drafted in 2014, Alyssa Thomas has claimed the assist record for the second time. Last year, she surpassed her own mark of 316 by finishing with 317, but a rookie Caitlin Clark topped her – a feat that made Clark’s performance even more remarkable. Fresh out of Iowa, Clark lived up to her billing as the game’s brightest new star. For Thomas, experience is both a strength and a potential limitation; age offers wisdom but can also work against her. Ultimately, how you view it depends on perspective.

Another fan brought up an interesting point, tilting it towards Clark, writing, “Don’t matter, bud, they 42 games in. Caitlin did it in 40 without sitting games. Caitlin was also on pace before the first injury to shatter it, and at would have been chasing the whole time.” Well, Thomas has actually achieved the record in 37, which is less than Clark’s 40. Still, like the fan mentioned, Clark was getting 8.8 assists per game in her time on the court despite nursing through injuries. At that rate, Clark would have gotten 387 assists approximately, and the consistency is not a problem, as she averaged 8.4 last year.

But again, perspective matters. If we are to compare Clark’s and Thomas’ rookie years, then Thomas only managed 51 assists in 2014 with 58 turnovers in 34 games. However, there is another side to it. Thomas is a forward. If we look at some of the best forwards in the league’s history, then this pattern follows. A’ja Wilson, for example, had 74 assists in her rookie year. Sheryl Swoopes had 62 assists in her second year in 29 games (played only 9 games in her rookie year). Elena Delle Donne had 53 assists in 30 games.

And if we look at natural point guards? Then there is the example of Sue Bird, who had 191 assists in her rookie year in 32 games. And of course, era and team style impact assist totals. Clark’s higher numbers also reflect a high-possession, fast-paced modern offense. So while Clark is a generational point guard, Thomas is also a generational forward.

Finally, one fan made a point that we most agree with. “I know haters gonna hate one player or the other but Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas are going to be trading this record back and forth for years. This is good for the game,” they wrote, and we are here for this healthy competition.