Caitlin Clark rookie assist record tracker: Fever star needs 13 more to pass Ticha Penicheiro

After a thrilling tournament that finished with the closest gold medal game ever, a one-point win for Team USA over France, the 2024 Paris Olympics are in the books. Now, it's time to turn our attention back to the WNBA, which resumes Thursday night.

One of the biggest storylines heading into the second half of the season is Caitlin Clark's quest for playmaking history. The No. 1 overall pick already set the league's single-game assist record with 19 against the Dallas Wings on July 17 and leads the league in that category with 8.2 per game.

For the season, Clark now has 213 assists, which means she needs just 13 to break Ticha Penicheiro's all-time rookie record of 225. At her current pace, she is on track to do so in the Fever's second game back from the Olympic break on Aug. 18 against the Seattle Storm . It's worth noting, though, that Clark has had at least 13 assists in five of her last nine games, so she's a real threat to get there in the Fever's first game versus the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 16.

Rookie assist record tracker

After a choppy start to her professional career, Clark came into her own in June and has arguably claimed the title of best point guard in the league. It took her just 26 games to set the Fever's franchise record for assists in a season, she became the first rookie to record a triple-double in WNBA history in a win over the New York Liberty on July 6 and she started the All-Star Game for Team WNBA, leading them to an upset win over Team USA while setting the rookie record for assists in the event.

For the season, she is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Among rookies she is first in scoring and assists, and among all players she is 13th and first, respectively, in those two categories.