When Diana Taurasi was nervous with jitters in 2004, Caitlin Clark was just two years old. Years kept passing, and while one was growing her game, the other kept growing her dream. Clark, set to become a future PG herself, saw Taurasi as one of her idols. She saw the Mercury star hone her 3-point shots over the years, and so maybe Taurasi has a lot more to do with Clark’s own near-perfect shot than we think. Fast forward, and Taurasi is one of the best scorers the league has seen. And Clark? Well, she could have warned her at least.

It all came up when Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever took the court against the Atlanta Dream for their second game of the regular season. Everything seemed smooth—until the Dream delivered a reality check. Thanks to Rhyne Howard, who, along with new additions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, outworked Indiana both inside and outside the paint. Despite spending the offseason retooling around the No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft, the Fever endured a 91–90 loss. But while it was a losing effort, the numbers Clark put up only added to her historic rookie resume.

With 27 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds, Clark is now tied with Courtney Vandersloot for the most 20-point, 10-assist games in league history—with 10. That’s not a “projected” or “through X games” stat. That’s the most such games in the 29-year history of the WNBA. Vandersloot, despite her decorated career, reached that milestone over the course of 430 games. Meanwhile, Clark, who already owns the league’s single-season assist record and ranks third on the all-time triple-double list, did it in just 42 games.

And if you’re keeping score, she’s already topped one GOAT.

Notably, the Indiana Fever sensation has surpassed the “White Mamba,” Diana Taurasi, who recorded 20+ points and 5+ assists nine times over the course of 565 games. We’re talking about the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points—someone who has long set the gold standard for excellence in the league. So, surpassing her is no small feat, especially when you’re the fastest to do so in WNBA history. But if you ask Taurasi, this isn’t anything new.

That’s because Clark has passed multiple Taurasi-held records in just 41 games. During a game on September 6 of last season, Clark eclipsed both Sabrina Ionescu and the Mercury legend for the most games with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a single season.

And it doesn’t stop there. She was on her back in college, too. The 23-year-old Iowa native also broke Taurasi’s single-season three-point record by sinking 122 threes in her rookie campaign. So makes sense why Taurasi has got immense respect for Clark despite the intense competition. However, even the impact Clark has couldn’t always add a win!

Even retooling the roster couldn’t help Caitlin Clark and co. this time!

Last season was a game changer for Fever as the team grabbed their first playoff spot since 2016 with a 20-20 record. Though the Fever were swept by the Connecticut Sun, it marked a promising turning point. And now they are being touted as the best bet to win it all because the team made some real offseason moves to position themselves as championship contenders. They already had a league-shaking talent in Clark, a stellar two-way big in Aliyah Boston, and a steady veteran scorer in Kelsey Mitchell. But they chose to further strengthen their frontcourt with seasoned veterans like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner.

However, these additions did not pay off in the last game as expected. Notably, Howard posted six points on 3-of-9 shooting, with nine rebounds and four turnovers. Meanwhile, Bonner, a former All-Star, had zero points on 0-of-1 shooting despite playing for 16 minutes. And it doesn’t end there. Another addition, Sydney Colson, who was brought in to provide quality facilitation off the bench during Clark’s non-floor minutes, didn’t rise up to the occasion. She contributed a mere 2 points with two turnovers in six minutes of gameplay.

Worse? The Fever players outside the Clark-Mitchell-Boston triumvirate combined for only 15 points on 6-of-20 shooting with eight turnovers. But there’s context behind this underwhelming performance. The Fever were missing a key win-now addition in Sophie Cunningham, who’s currently sidelined with an ankle injury. Although she’s been out since Game 1 of the regular season, Cunningham’s valuable impact in preseason games can’t be overlooked. For instance, in a preseason matchup against the Mystics, she played a pivotal role by sinking two clutch free throws with 12 seconds remaining, tying the game and forcing overtime.

The Fever ultimately secured a 79–74 victory, with head coach Stephanie White praising Cunningham’s grit and adaptability: “Sophie’s a dawg,” coach Stephanie White said postgame. “She’s a competitor, she’s versatile, so she allows us to do different things. She plays with such toughness, you know. She’s huge, and she’s going to be for us all season long.”

However, during the preseason finale against the Atlanta Dream on May 10, Cunningham sustained a right ankle injury, which sidelined her for the regular-season opener against the Chicago Sky. Despite her eagerness to return, the coaching staff prioritized her long-term health, delaying her season debut. So, it makes sense that her absence has cost the Fever in these early games.