Fever's Caitlin Clark first with 45-point, 10-assist double-double

INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark dominated the record books on a night to remember. The Indiana Fever star saved a turnover and scrambled back toward half court as the shot clock ticked down with less than a minute left and the score tied against the Seattle Storm. She drove left, stopped on a dime, and sidestepped Flau'jae Johnson. With 39.1 seconds remaining, Clark launched a shot from 26 feet, hitting nothing but net. The crowd erupted as the Fever took the lead and never trailed again, winning the game 110-107 and making Clark the first player in WNBA history with 45 points and 10 assists in a game.

Clark set multiple records during her historic performance on Friday night against Seattle. She became the first WNBA player to score 45 points and record 10 assists in a game and did so in fewer than 30 minutes. Her 45 points also marked a franchise record for the Fever and made her the fastest player to reach 200 career 3-pointers in league history, achieving this milestone in only 74 games. It was her fourth career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, a rare feat within the league.

"Some nights, like, you know you have it -- even before the ball tips," Clark stated. "I felt like it was going to be one of those for me. You just have to believe you’re going to have those types of nights, and you have to visualize having those types of nights. And that’s what I did."

Early in the game, Clark consistently attacked the basket and finished 17-for-19 from the free throw line. When the Seattle defense adjusted to guard her drives, Clark found space for her shots behind the arc. Her performance included not only scoring but also four steals and two blocks, with one of her blocks occurring after she sprinted back to stop a potential layup by Johnson.

Clark scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, turning the tide as the Storm had a brief lead. Her performance included a defining moment when she step back for a three-pointer from 32 feet that marked her new career high of 38 points, narrowing the lead to one.

Despite being under a minutes restriction due to a back injury that limited her to an average of 25 minutes in the previous two games, Clark was determined to play through the final moments. "Didn't matter, I would play with one leg," she noted, reflecting on the team's trust in her capabilities.

Kelsey Mitchell, another All-Star starter for the Fever, also performed commendably, scoring 30 points and marking her franchise-record ninth consecutive game with over 20 points. Together, she and Clark became the first teammates in WNBA history to score 40 and 30 points in the same game.

For Seattle, Dominique Malonga contributed 28 points, her second-highest career total, alongside 14 rebounds. Awa Fam added 16 points and made history as the youngest player to hit four 3-pointers in a quarter.

The game was heavily offensive, with the Storm outscoring the Fever in the third quarter but unable to maintain the lead. Clark’s exceptional performance stood out, embodying her ability to transform a challenging game into a historic night. "It's incredible," said Fever coach Stephanie White. "She does things that we haven’t seen."

Looking ahead, Clark expressed her intention to play against the New York Liberty in a back-to-back matchup, pending approval from medical staff regarding her back injury recovery. "This is great, but we have another really difficult test tomorrow," she said.