“She knows the league now — that’s dangerous,” WNBA legend Sue Bird remarked about Caitlin Clark ahead of her sophomore season in the league. Although Clark has been sidelined by injury, her pre-injury form strongly suggests she’s already begun to transcend the typical sophomore trajectory.

Last season, she topped the assists charts with a rookie of the year to go with her all-star selection. In her four games this season, Caitlin Clark has averaged 19.0 points and 9.3 assists per game for the Fever. She announced her return in the season opener with a triple-double against archrival Chicago Sky, making an immediate statement. Following her impressive performances so far, WNBA legend Sue Bird has thrown a challenge at the generational talent.

She said on the No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show after being asked if Caitlin Clark will chase down her assists record, “These records have no chance. They play way more games. I played, I mean, this is where you know I don’t want to get too caught up in the games played, because it is what it is, I don’t feel that way about it.”

Bird’s career stretched from 2002 to 2022, marking a very successful 20 years in the WNBA in which she became the all-time WNBA assists leader, the player with the most wins in WNBA history with 333, and a 4-time WNBA champion. She also has a record-breaking 13 WNBA All-Star selections and 5 Olympic gold medals. For the majority of her career, she played in a 12-team league without the Commissioners Cup that had a maximum of 34 regular-season games. The number of games a player can play rose to 36 in her last year in the league in 2022.

Clark had the chance to play 44 games this season after the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, but she won’t complete the quota as she is missing four games though her injury. The WNBA is set to expand as the league has already committed to adding teams in San Francisco, Portland, and Toronto in 2025 and 2026. The League commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, had said she was aiming to be at 16 teams by 2028.

So, Clark will potentially get to play more than 55 games after 2028. The newer generation of players holds an advantage, and that has always been the case in any sport. As the sport develops, the latter generation leaps over the former. Keeping this in mind, Bird issued a challenge to the 2024 Rookie of the Year.

She said, “Records are, um, you know, meant to be broken. I think I played like 34 games majority of my career. So if these records don’t get, they are on the clock. They’d better break those things in like five years.”

Clark is well on her way to challenging every assist record in the book, but doing so within five years seems unlikely. So far in her WNBA career, she has averaged 8.5 assists per game and has totaled 374 assists. Assuming a conservative estimate of 40 games per season, that pace would put her at roughly 2,207 assists over the next five years, which is more than 1,000 short of Sue Bird’s record of 3,234.

To reach Bird’s mark in just five years, Clark would need to average approximately 14.4 assists per game, a number that is virtually impossible over that span.

However, if not within five years, Clark is clearly on a trajectory to break the record not long after. The numbers may not be in her favor just yet, but her vision, pace, and consistency are already setting her apart, and Bird has explained to us as to why.

Bird said, “What I think separates her right on top of all the qualities that most great passers have is that she has strength. Sometimes she’s able to make passes not because she sees it, not because she’s reading the defense. Yes, those things exist. But that’s not why she’s able to make the pass.”

Clark has all the characteristics of an ideal point guard, with exceptional passing ability, elite court vision, and a high basketball IQ. But as Sue Bird pointed out, what truly sets her apart is not just her ability to read the floor, but her capacity to act on what she sees. She has the physical strength to make passes that other players might be able to visualize, but simply do not have the power or precision to execute. It is this rare combination of awareness and strength that makes her such a dangerous playmaker. Bird further gave an example of what Clark regularly does in her game, which is very difficult for others.

Bird added, “She’s able to make the pass because she can actually get it there. I think the easiest way to see it is her full-court passes. Um, but they happen in the half-court too. Sometimes she’ll be you know she’ll have picked her dribble up, somebody will make a cut, and she still has the zip to get like a bounce back, you know, a back door pass off the bounce to her teammate on time.”

Playing against Caitlin, if you go for a three-pointer without anyone contesting the rebound, you better not miss. As soon as she gets the ball and sees a runner on the other end of the court, the ball is flying towards her with pinpoint precision. There have been so many such passes throughout her rookie season as well as this year. The player on the other end of the court gets an open layup and within seconds, you have 2 more points in your bag.

Such passes require strength as well as the precision to put it exactly where the scorer wants it. If it is off, then you have wasted an attack within seconds, and the other team will be back hunting for more. Because of this risk, most point guards don’t risk such passes if they doubt themselves, but CC has always played this bold style of basketball. She has further increased her strength in this offseason, working with the team’s backroom staff, and we can see some more of those passes in the remainder of the season.

Sue Bird launches her Dream Draft collection featuring Caitlin Clark

As basketball continues to evolve beyond the court and into the realms of culture, fashion, and influence, the game’s biggest names are shaping its future in more ways than one. Sue Bird has given her contribution to the growing collectibles world by introducing a Dream Draft Collection in collaboration with eBay.

Her latest initiative highlights rising stars like Caitlin Clark along with legends like Sheryl Swoopes. The collection features a lineup of women’s basketball memorabilia curated by the WNBA legend. It has rookie cards, signed gear, and historic artifacts. Select items start at just 97 cents, which is a nod to the WNBA’s inaugural 1997 season.

“The momentum behind women’s basketball right now is real—from record crowds to a whole new generation of stars,” said Sue Bird. “With my ‘Dream Draft’ on eBay, I wanted to recognize the players who’ve paved the way and highlight the ones pushing the game forward. These pieces aren’t just collectibles—they tell the story of where we’ve been and where we’re headed.”

The collection includes iconic memorabilia like the 2002 LA Sparks Game Ticket, which had Lisa Leslie’s first WNBA dunk, and a Sue Bird Signed Nike Seattle Storm Jersey. It gives the flowers to the players who have brought the WNBA to this stage, along with the youngsters who will take it forward.

The collection also features the 2024 Panini Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year Auto Card, graded PSA Gem Mint 10, which is expected to command a higher price than many of the other items. Clark’s value in the collectibles market has already been established. Her 1-of-1 Signatures Gold Vinyl Prizm rookie card from the 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA set sold for an astounding $366,000. That sale set a new benchmark, surpassing the previous record of $266,400 for a 2003 NetPro Serena Williams autographed rookie card, which sold in 2022.

Caitlin Clark’s inclusion in Sue Bird’s Dream Draft collection is more than a tribute. It is a recognition of her rapid rise as one of the most influential figures in basketball today. From record-breaking performances on the court to setting new benchmarks in the collectibles market, Clark is redefining what it means to be a modern basketball star.