Caitlin Clark eclipsed the WNBA rookie scoring record by passing a former league legend she grew up admiring as a child.
In fact, Seimone Augustus was the first player she ever got to meet in real life.
On Sunday, Clark led her team to a hard-fought victory over the Dallas Wings, pouring in a career-high 35 points in the effort, along with dishing out 8 assists and reeling in 3 steals.
The scoring outburst allowed her to pass Augustus who reached a total of 744 points during her rookie season in 2006. Augustus went on to have an illustrious career as a four-time WNBA champion.
Clark now has 761 points this season and has one more regular season game to go. It should be noted that Augustus reached her mark when the league conducted a 34-game season. Clark has played in 39 games.
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Caitlin Clark Comes Full Circle
This is yet another example of how players can inspire kids to achieve great things. A full circle moment, if you will.
Clark talked after the game about her accomplishment and noted that Augustus was the first player she ever met in real life.
“I got my picture with her on my dad’s little phone – it was maybe like a BlackBerry back in the day,” Clark told reporters after the game. “I vividly remember it. I was always a fan of her game and the way she could shoot the ball.”
Clark, while breaking the scoring record in more games (Sheryl Swoopes will be happy to know that), probably had the more well-rounded rookie campaign with her being a floor general for the Fever.
Just last week, she broke the WNBA single-season record for assists. She has 329 thus far this season.
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Looking Forward To The Playoffs
Attending the Minnesota Lynx game as a kid provided many memories for Clark, it seems. Earlier this year, Clark became just the second basketball player to win the Honda Cup twice.
The other was Lynx star Maya Moore, whom the Indiana Fever rookie grew up idolizing. Moore retired in 2023 after a career that included four WNBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and numerous other accolades.
Clark recalled an interaction she had with Moore as a child and said it helped inspire her love of basketball. She was able to hug her favorite player on the court after a Minnesota Lynx game back in 2014.
“Ten seconds can go a long way in somebody’s life,” Clark said of the memory. “That’s a good lesson whether you play sports or don’t play sports, how you treat somebody matters.”
The Fever guard says she tries to pattern her own behavior after Moore and Augustus by taking “as much time as I can for those young girls.”
Clark and her team have one more game left, but they’re already pretty excited about what’s next.
“Everybody is definitely excited for the playoffs,” she said. “We’re not just happy to be there. We really feel like we can compete with every single team.”
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