Candice Parker, Tamika Catchings, Aja Wilson, Brianna Stewart, Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore.
These are just a few of the WNBA players who had impressive and eye-catching rookie seasons.
Add Kaitlyn Clarke, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, to that list.
For the first and last time since Parker only The winning player Both Has any rookie ever won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season and had as much of an impact on the league and everyone and everything around it as Clark?
It’s called the Caitlin Clark effect.
Watch SLAM 252 starring Kaitlyn Clarke now.
Record-breaking performances. Sold-out shows across the country. Fans packed her bags and traveled everywhere she went. There was more attention on W. Clark than ever before. W. Clark was the talk of the town.
But there is a flip side to this. The constant, heated debate and discussion on sports talk shows and social media is about Clark and her impact on the league. Is she getting too much media attention? Is she being portrayed as the WNBA’s savior when there are other players who have been around for a long time? It depends on who you ask and what time of day you ask.
It could be argued that there has never been this much pressure on a player entering the league. Even while Clark was still a student at the University of Iowa, expectations were high. There, she set an NCAA Division I scoring record with 3,951 points. A lightning-quick point guard with quick hands, she also became the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader (1,144) and set the record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 201. So when she entered the league, all eyes were expectedly on her.
Ironically, though, Clark hasn’t said much about the hype and glamour surrounding her first season at the W. Instead, she seems content to simply play her game, break record after record, and help the Indiana Fever team do the same. In the meantime, she’s helping to create a kind of excitement for women’s basketball that hasn’t been seen in a while.
The WNBA records Clark broke are long and voluminous. Too many to list. They include setting the WNBA single-game assists record (19) against the Dallas Wings, recording the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history against the New York Liberty, and breaking the record for most assists by a rookie in a season.
Not to be missed is tying the rookie single-game 3-point record, with Clarke making seven in a Fever game against the Washington Mystics early in the season. Other records include the most games with at least 15 points and five assists in a WNBA season with 21, and becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds, and 150 assists in a season.
Clark was also selected to the WNBA All-Star Game in July and recorded 10 assists, the most by a rookie in the sport’s prestigious history.
This incredible rookie season also included some not-so-great statistics. She committed the most turnovers in a debut game in WNBA history, with 10 in the Fever opener against the Connecticut Sun. She also committed the most turnovers in a single season by any player in WNBA history. There’s definitely work to be done in this area, but overall, the Caitlin Clark Effect is undeniable.
And it extended beyond just her personal games.
The Fever have clinched their first playoff spot since 2016 and are currently ranked No. 6 at the time of going to press. The WNBA also announced that the 2025 All-Star Game will be held in Indianapolis. The 21st WNBA All-Star Game, scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025, will be the first time Indiana has hosted the league’s midseason showcase.
Already on a roll after adding No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and NaLyssa Smith last year, the Fever have soared to new heights with Clark’s addition. The starting five have gone on a hot streak, winning seven of their eight games after the Olympic break and qualifying for the playoffs. They’ve all transformed into a team that continues to push the envelope.
Hull’s hot shooting has led the league in 3-point percentage (49.2%). Mitchell, who has been on a personal tear this summer, ranks fifth in 3-point percentage (96) and ninth in points per game this season. Clarke leads the league in assists with 8.5 per game and leads the league in 3-point percentage (111). Boston ranks fifth in field goal percentage (52.8%) and eighth in blocks per game (1.3).
In August, the Fever led the league in scoring (89.7 points per game), and scored a season-high 100 points against the Chicago Sky on August 30. Indiana also made the most 3-pointers that month (72).
On August 16, the Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 98-89, marking the first time Indiana has swept a regular season series against Phoenix since the 2015 regular season. Less than two weeks later, Indiana took down the Sun 84-80 for the first time since 2021.
The team’s success extended to coach Christie Sidis, who was officially ranked Coach of the Year and was named WNBA Coach of the Month for August after leading the Fever to a 5-1 record. Sidis is the first coach in franchise history to receive this honor.
Clark has also earned accolades from around the league. In August, she was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and the WNBA Rookie of the Month. This is the third time she has won Rookie of the Month, having also won in May and July, and the first time she has been named Player of the Month. She was recently named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time in her young career, and she also leads the rookie class in scoring, assists, steals, free throw shooting and minutes played. And on September 13, she broke the WNBA all-time assists record previously held by the legendary Tisha Penisheiro.
The player many call the female Steph Curry has been in the spotlight since before he even entered the league, and the hype has been building throughout the season. Agree or disagree, fan or not, Clark has defied the pressure, lived up to expectations (and in many ways, exceeded them) and solidified his name in the sports world in just one year as a pro.
The Caitlin Clark experience is only just beginning, but its effects are already fully apparent.
Please fasten your seat belt.
Photo credit: Getty Images
