NBA legend Paul Pierce believes Caitlin Clark holds the lead for the Rookie of the Year award over Angel Reese after breaking the WNBA record for assists in a game.
On Wednesday, Clark tallied the most assists in a single game in league history with 19 in her Indiana Fever ’s 101-93 road loss to the Dallas Wings . The previous single-game assist record was Courtney Vandersloot with 18 for the Chicago Sky back in 2020.
Clark, the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader, also had 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting in a mesmerizing offensive performance . She scored or assisted on 66 points for the Fever, which broke another record for the most in a game in WNBA history, surpassing a 65-point effort from Diana Taurasi in 2006.
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With Reese making history in her own right, the battle between the two rivals for the Rookie of the Year award has become a key storyline to watch this season. Pierce believes Clark’s performance means she leads the way, even with the Fever coming up short against the lowly Wings.
Speaking on FS1's 'Undisputed', Pierce said: “When you just have one of those nights where everything is going, especially a record-setting night where you don’t come out with the W… my career-high was 50 against the Cavs and we lost, versus LeBron. They beat us. If you get the win, it feels that much better.
“Even with the loss for me, that put her ahead in the race for Rookie of the Year for me. It’s game-to-game to me. Angel Reese was in the lead because she beat Las Vegas, double-double, and she got the lead. OK now, Caitlin Clark comes, 19 assists, WNBA record - she retook the lead.”
When Keyshawn Johnson pointed out the Fever lost, Pierce said: “It don’t matter. It’s an individual award, not a team award. It’s game-by-game. This is going to go down to the wire. I wish there was a situation they could do a co-type of thing, but right now, going into the break, Caitlin got the lead for Rookie of the Year - but slightly.”
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Clark has impressed in her rookie campaign. Along with posting the first-ever triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history, Clark is averaging 17.1 points per game to go with 8.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds for the 11-15 Fever.
Following her record-breaking performance last night, Clark went from -1000 to -2000 odds for WNBA Rookie of the Year honors (ESPN BET), while Reese moved from +500 to +600. Twenty-six games into the 2024 season, Clark has scored or assisted on 915 points, which is already a rookie single-season record, while her 213 assists are approaching Ticha Penicheiro's record of 225.
“I just try to set my teammates up for success,” said Clark. “I think at times I can almost overpass ... especially with AB, I'm just looking to set her up so much. My eyes are just always on our post players.”
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But the Fever lamented failing to secure a win over the Wings. Dallas is 6-19, sitting bottom of the WNBA standings, while Indiana - who enter the Olympic break seventh in the league standings - needs every win as the franchise seeks to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“It's kind of frustrating,” Clark said. “I feel like we've left two games out there that are very winnable for us going into the break, the Mystics at home and then obviously this one, and then we've won other matchups that are really tough for us. I think that's the biggest area for our team to grow. These last 14 games of the year, you can't leave these opportunities on the table."
Fever trio Clark, Aliyah Boston , and Kelsey Mitchell will travel to Phoenix to participate in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, where they will represent Team WNBA against the U.S. Olympic team.
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