Caitlin Clark breaks another WNBA record, and LeBron James applauds

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever may have lost their season-opening matchup against the Dallas Wings on Saturday, May 9, but Clark still walked away with a new record.

Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 1,000+ points, 250+ rebounds and 250+ assists. She did so in just 54 career games, besting Diana Taurasi's previous mark of 62 games.

The 24-year-old guard finished with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the Fever's 107-104 loss to the Wings, which marked Clark's first WNBA game since July 15, 2025 after a string of injuries limited her to 13 games last season.

"It makes me a little emotional that I get to put on my jersey tonight and I get to go play," Clark said ahead of the matchup. "So more than anything, my goal is just to have fun, enjoy the crowd, enjoy the excitement around this moment, and remind myself I'm prepared as well."

Clark got the excitement she asked for. Saturday's game between the Fever and Wings marked the first season opener in WNBA history where both teams reached the century mark in scoring. Clark missed a game-tying 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds remaining, but finished shooting 7-of-18 from the field and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. Kelsey Mitchell (30), Aliyah Boston (23) and Clark each finished with at least 20 points in the loss.

"I was literally a couple buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and helping us win," Clark said after the loss. "Our offense is obviously not the issue. We're perfectly fine on offense, and there's still so many things we can do better on that end of the floor."

Clark has claimed multiple records in her short time in the league. Since being drafted No. 1 overall out of Iowa in 2024, the two-time All-Star set rookie records for points (769) and assists (337) during her Rookie of the Year campaign. Clark also set the WNBA single-game assist record with 19 assists on July 17, 2024 and claimed the WNBA single-season assist record in 2024, which was later broken by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (357) in 2025.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James congratulated Clark on the accomplishment on Instagram Story, adding multiple clapping hand emojis to the WNBA's post of Clark's latest accolade.

Clark appeared to celebrate her latest milestone later Saturday. She made an appearance at a Morgan Wallen concert at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at [email protected] and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

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