Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Let’s rank the best passes from Caitlin Clark’s record-setting 19 assist performance.
Caitlin Clark was playing college basketball only a few months ago during her charmed career at Iowa. Now just over halfway through her rookie season, she is already the WNBA’s record-holder for assists in a single game.
The Dallas Wings beat the Fever, 101-93, on Wednesday night, but Clark’s record-setting performance drew the headlines. Clark finished the game 24 points, 19 assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor. Even on a night when Clark’s three-point shot wasn’t falling (she finished 2-of-9 from three), she still found a way to make a huge impact with her playmaking. Her 19 assists breaks the record set by Courtney Vandersloot (18 assists) in 2020.
After a slow start to her rookie year, Clark has been playing incredible basketball lately. She’s finished with 11 or more assists in six of her last seven games. She’s scored 15 or more points in 11 of her last 12 games. Clark now leads the WNBA in assists at 8.2 per game, while also being No. 12 in scoring (17.1 points per game), and fifth in the league in three-pointers made per game.
The entire basketball world is marveling at Clark’s performance on Wednesday night. Let’s rank all 19 assists Clark had on the night.
19. Assist No. 4
Kelsey Mitchell did all the hard work here. Should you really get an assist if your teammate needs three dribbles to score?
18. Assist No. 1
Spread the floor, get the ball to Aliyah Boston, and let her go to work. That’s an easy assist.
17. Assist No. 5
The post entry is a lost art!
16. Assist No. 2
A nice screen by NaLyssa Smith here frees Boston, and Clark does well to deliver the ball on time and on target.
15. Assist No. 17
What a great seal by Boston. Clark notices it immediately and delivers the ball to her right shoulder where she can easily spin and score.
14. Assist No. 3
Smith does a great job filling the lane in transition here, and Clark hits her stride for the easy finish.
13. Assist No. 18
If Boston gets position that deep in the paint, it’s already over. This is also excellent ball placement by Clark so her teammate can quickly turn and score.
12. Assist No. 8
The pick-and-roll game between Clark and Boston is so pure. Real “Stockton-to-Malone” vibes.
11. Assist No. 11
Blitzing Clark in the pick-and-roll feels like a good idea until she solves it effortlessly. Nice job by Boston here finding the pocket and hitting the mid-range shot.
10. Assist No. 7
Just a brutal miscommunication by the Dallas defense on this one, and Clark recognizes it immediately to get her two an uncontested two points.
9. Assist No. 16
When Clark draws two to the ball, it’s game over. Dallas does a nice job rotating here, but Boston is still able to win her one-on-one matchup for the bucket.
8. Assist No. 13
Clark does a wonderful job here keeping her dribble and waiting for space to open up for Smith’s roll to the basket. She leads her teammate perfectly for the layup.
7. Assist No. 6
This was really nice by Clark: probing the defense, drawing Boston’s defender to her to help on the drive, and then finding her big for a spot-up three. That was only Boston’s seventh made three-pointer of the year.
6. Assist No. 19
The deep dribble penetration leads to the open wing three. That’s how it’s done.
5. Assist No. 14
The brilliance is in the subtlety here: Clark gives himself one extra pound dribble to allow Boston a little more time to find open space for her roll, leading to the bucket.
4. Assist No. 12
Excellent play design here by the Fever for a sidelines out of bounds play. Kelsey Mitchell sprints around two screens, then finds an open lane to cut to the basket. Clark leads her perfectly.
3. Assist No. 15
This is just masterful by Clark and the Fever on the fastbreak. Indiana had shooters in each corner and a big filling the lane as Clark pushed the ball full speed ahead. Clark looked off the left corner, glanced at the roller, then circled back to find a wide open shooter in the right corner. Easy three.
2. Assist No. 9
The behind-the-back dribble to juke the defender, suck in the help, and hit her teammate for the open three. This is perfection.
1. Assist No. 10
Pushing the ball full speed in transition, Clark holds her dribble long enough to get the defender to commit to her before executing a flawless behind-the-back pass to Smith for the layup.
