Caitlin Clark hits 86th 3-pointer to break WNBA rookie record

The college phenom who became famous for her long-range shooting now fittingly holds a 3-point record in the pros. With her 86th 3-pointer of her debut season, Caitlin Clark is now the record-holder for most 3s by a rookie.

Clark broke the record of 85 set in 2022 by former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard. Howard got to her total in a 34-game regular-season, while Clark exceeded the mark in her 31st game. After sinking three 3-pointers in the 84-80 win over Connecticut on Wednesday, the Indiana Fever rookie is now leading the league in 3-pointers with 88 — one ahead of Minnesota’s Kayla McBride. However, Clark’s 33.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc pales in comparison to McBride (42 percent) and other veterans such as Stefanie Dolson, who paces the league with a 48.8 shooting percentage from distance.

Clark has made more than 36 percent of her 3-pointers since the Olympic break, leading the Fever to a 4-1 record in that span as Indiana chases its first playoff berth since 2016. The Fever are 15-16, one game behind Phoenix for sixth place in the WNBA standings with the tiebreaker in hand.

In addition to 3-pointers, Clark also leads the league in total assists and turnovers. She is already the single-season record-holder in turnovers and is on pace to break the assists mark for one year. The 3-point record will be more of a challenge — Clark would have to connect on 4.6 3-pointers per game over her final nine games to tie Sabrina Ionescu’s record of 128 set last season.




https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5730347/2024/08/28/caitlin-clark-wnba-rookie-3-point-record/