Caitlin Clark fell just short of breaking the all-time WNBA All-Star game assist record - a feat that she hilariously vowed to accomplish after learning that the record holder was close friend Sue Bird .
On Saturday, Clark helped propel Team WNBA to a 117-109 win over Team USA in the league’s 20th All-Star Game, finishing the night with 10 assists, one rebound and four points while shooting 2-of-9 from the field. After recording the most assists in All-Star Game history by a rookie, the Indiana Fever star admitted late in the game that she had her sights set on breaking another record.
Midway through the third quarter, ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco interviewed Clark after she took a seat on the bench with nine assists - only two less than the All-Star record 11 assists. Once the 22-year-old realized that Bird was the person who set the achievement, she swore to outdo the former Seattle Storm guard’s best mark.
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"Oh it's Sue's? Then I'm breaking it,” Clark asserted while grinning from cheek-to-cheek. “She's been talking ---- all game. If it’s anybody else they can keep it. Not Sue Bird.”
Unfortunately for Clark, she was unable to record the three additional assists needed to surpass Bird. Speaking to reporters after the game, the Iowa-product provided insight into what contributed to her nonetheless strong showing.
“That’s Sue’s record, I can’t take that from her, that's my homie,” Clark began. “But no, I mean, we were just playing hard, there was a couple times especially with [Aliyah Boston], you can still just see our connection, even though we're not with the whole Fever team, but we still have that connection.
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“So it was just fun. Like, I was just trying to push the pace, get the ball out, even on their made baskets, and go. That's just what I do. Like, I try to push the pace for everybody, and I think at times that led to really good offense for us. But, yeah, that's all Sue, so I’ll let her have that.”
In the last week alone, Clark has broken two records thanks to her unparalleled court vision and pinpoint passing. During the Fever’s 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, she set the WNBA record for the most assists in a game with 19, surpassing the previous mark of 18 by Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot.
On the heels of her historic performance, Clark paid little attention to her own accomplishment, instead discussing the incredible work of her teammates."I just try to set my teammates up for success," she said.
"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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