The first rookie to record a triple-double in the WNBA was Caitlin Clark.
When Caitlin Clark got drafted into the WNBA in April 2024, many vets said she was going to have a hard time adjusting to the professional game.
But as she has proved many times this season, her game suits the WNBA just fine, as Clark is the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double.
Via IndyStar:
“Caitlin with her first triple-double tonight, oh my gosh, that’s incredible,” head coach Christie Sides said. ” First by a rookie in league history, first in Fever history, we just keep growing.”
In her historic performance, she scored 19 points, dished 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds.
She also had 2 steals to sweeten the pot a little more.
Additionally, she joined an exclusive group of basketball players to be rookies who recorded triple-doubles, such as Magic Johnson.
Clark’s Performance Recap
Clark kicked off the night strong by scoring a very efficient 11 points (4-5) in the first quarter, giving her team, the Indiana Fever a 24-18 lead over the New York Liberty.
She also had 3 assists and 3 rebounds.
But over the second and third quarters, she cooled off significantly. The Liberty locked her up and didn’t give her any easy shots.
Clark went 1-6, scoring only 2 points in 20 minutes of play. But despite her scoring slump, she was doing other stuff to contribute, such as making plays and fighting for boards.
In those two quarters, the rookie grabbed 4 rebounds and dished 7 assists.
At the start of the fourth, Clark had already recorded 13 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.
The rookie only needed 3 more rebounds to make this game a historic night for her.
But she wasn’t playing to break individual records -Clark was playing to win the game.
And since the Fever were losing to the Liberty (55-62), she stepped up and did her mostest to ensure Indiana got the victory.
So, in the fourth quarter, she got another 6 points, 3 dimes and 5 boards, helping the Fever win the game 83-78.
When she grabbed her tenth rebound, the crowd went wild, screaming to celebrate her momentous achievement. But she was too locked into trying to win that she didn’t realize what they were cheering for.
“Honestly I wasn’t too aware,” Clark said. “Everybody was a little confused as to why they were going so nuts over a rebound.”
“Obviously it’s really cool,” Clark said. “My teammates have been finishing the ball really, really at a high rate. My assist numbers, that’s because of them. Just finding them in positions to be successful…we’ve done a really good job of that.”
Conclusion
So, that’s the legend of Caitlin Clark’s first career triple-double and the first rookie to record a triple-double.