Caitlin Clark (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark enjoyed another win over Diana Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury on Friday night with a 20-point, 13-assist performance.
The stat line marked a fifth double-double for the former Iowa guard, who was one assist away from setting a new franchise record.
It appears she tried to get it, too, as she swung a pass to teammate Aliyah Boston at the end of the fourth quarter. Given that Indiana was up by nine points with the clock running out, the decision prompted criticism, with one fan claiming Clark was “trying to stat pad for an assist record.”
Boston missed the jumper, in any case.
3 possession game under 15 seconds and Caitlin Clark tries to stat pad for an assist record😂😂 pic.twitter.com/bOX6NuXVTC
— lilly✨ (@lilly__lover) July 13, 2024
Fans wasted no time jumping to Caitlin’s defense, with one pointing out that she already holds the Fever’s record for most assists in a single game.
“What record ? BREAKING A RECORD SHE ALREADY HOLDS ?” they wrote.
“So….she either avoids the shot clock violation, gets the turnover, and you come at her for that OR she passes to AVOID the turnover, to which she’s now stat padding,” another claimed.
“Please explain to me how a stat that requires 2 people to get can be blamed on one person?” a user inquired.
“It’s okay to stat pad when you’re trying to make history. Caitlin Clark almost had it!” said another, clearly favoring the attempt to lengthen the record, if that’s what she was going for.
The Accolades Keep Rolling In For Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark and the Fever are scheduled to play the Minnesota Lynx this Sunday.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old enjoyed some novel accomplishments, having received two ESPYs on Thursday night. Clark was nominated for three awards, winning a pair of them as she was determined to have been the Best College Women’s Athlete in 2023, also winning the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance.
The rookie has also been named an All-Star in her first professional season and will play alongside rival Angel Reese for the first time in an attempt to topple the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team.
NBA 2K Unveils “All-Star Edition” Dual-League Cover That Features Jayson Tatum With One Of The WNBA’s Biggest Stars, But It’s Not Who You’d Think
Jayson Tatum on NBA2K25 Cover (Photo via NBA2K)
NBA 2K fans go wild when the covers are released. The most anticipated cover after the initial release for this year’s game was the All-Star edition.
The cover athletes for the NBA 2K All-Star Edition are Las Vegas Aces star player A’ja Wilson and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Wilson is also featured on the cover of the WNBA edition of the game.
Tatum will be the sole athlete on the cover of NBA 2K’s regular edition. Additionally, there will be a Hall of Fame edition featuring Vince Carter, who’s a recent inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tatum and Wilson Dominate Their Leagues in Stellar Year
Both Tatum and Wilson have had fantastic years in their respective leagues. Tatum led the Celtics to a record-tying 18th league title and helped them overcome the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals. Furthermore, he recently signed the largest contract in NBA history, an extension.
Wilson has also had an outstanding year, delivering back-to-back impressive performances in 2023, finishing with an astounding 34-6 regular-season record. She was also named the Most Valuable Player in the 2023 WNBA Finals. In addition, Wilson is off to a great start in the 2024 WNBA season, averaging 27 points per game, 2.7 blocks per game, and 10.9 rebounds per game, according to ESPN.
