Caitlin Clark’s highly anticipated trip to the postseason lasted only two games after the Sun eliminated the Fever 87-81.
As we have come to expect, Caitlin Clark made history in her final game, becoming the first rookie to have a 25-5-5 stat line in the postseason.
However, the rest of her team couldn’t pick up the weight. The veteran Sun team, led by imposing forwards who made their presence known in the paint, went on a 16-2 run at one point during the game. Clark’s three-point shooting kept the Fever in the game, even giving Indiana a one-point lead with four minutes remaining.
However, the Sun quickly responded and retook the lead.
The most dramatic moment in the game occurred early on when Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner was not called for a landing-zone foul after she stepped into Clark’s landing space after a three-point attempt. The move sent Clark falling to the ground. The Fever guard pursued the referee to argue the call, but Bonner interjected something, prompting Clark to shove her.
The physical play and hard fouls against Clark were a constant throughout her rookie season and, as it turns out, continued through her brief time in the playoffs. However, as in the regular season, nothing her opponents did threw Clark off her game, as she collected record after record.
Clark eclipsed records for the most points scored by a rookie in WNBA history, the all-time scoring record for a point guard, the new mark for most assists in a single game, the record for most assists in a single season by any WNBA player, and the rookie record for the number of triple-doubles in a season. She also passed Diana Taurasi for second place for the most made three-pointers by any player in a season.
And that’s not even mentioning her impact on team and league merchandising, attendance, and viewership.
Clark’s season is over, but she had the greatest rookie season of any athlete in any sport. For the first time ever, people are looking forward to the start of a new WNBA season.
