Caitlin Clark Drops 45 Points and 10 Assists as WNBA Controversy Intensifies

Q: How does Clark’s third-year impact stack up against WNBA legends at the same career stage?

Caitlin Clark’s third-year impact already compares favorably with the best early-career stretches in WNBA history, especially as an offensive engine. Through 73 career games, Clark has become the fastest player ever to 200 three-pointers and previously the fastest to 1,000 points, while also reaching 1,000 points, 250 rebounds and 250 assists quicker than anyone in league history. Her latest 45-point, 10-assist game made her the first player ever to post 40 points and 10 assists in the same WNBA game, and she already owns the league record for career 20-point, 10-assist games despite being only in Year 3. At the same stage, her playmaking stands out even against elite guards. Clark is averaging more than eight assists per game in 2026, well above the career norms of all-time great distributors such as Sue Bird and Teresa Weatherspoon, and she already broke Courtney Vandersloot’s single-game assist mark with 19 as a rookie. That does not make her more accomplished overall than those legends, but it does show a rarer early statistical peak as a creator. Where Clark does not yet clearly surpass every legend is résumé. Candace Parker won MVP as a rookie, and players such as Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings and A’ja Wilson built championship-level legacies that Clark has not yet matched. But in pure third-year offensive production, record pace and league-wide influence, Clark is already tracking with — and in some categories ahead of — the greatest starts the WNBA has seen.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 18

45 points, 10 assists and four steals from Caitlin Clark powered Indiana past Seattle 110-107, making her the first player in WNBA history to post at least 40 points and 10 assists.
Less than 30 minutes into her return from a back injury, Clark said she ignored a minutes restriction late because she "didn’t want to lose this game" and would have played "with one leg."
The outburst came as Clark’s treatment remains under scrutiny after Alyssa Thomas punched her in the throat in June, an incident Clark called a clear flagrant foul while criticizing league officiating and player protection.
That debate has widened beyond the court, drawing threats cited by Thomas, a letter from 11 Republican lawmakers to the WNBA, and fresh attention after Clark angrily confronted a referee earlier this week.
At 15-10, Indiana is now tied with Atlanta for first in the East, with Saturday’s home game against New York offering the next test of whether Clark is fully back.