WNBA history as rookie Caitlin Clark nets triple-double in Fever win

Indiana guard Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to notch a triple-double as the Fever completed a thrilling 83-78 come-from-behind victory over the visiting New York Liberty on Saturday, July 6 (Sunday, July 7, Manila time).

Clark finished with 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds as the Fever snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Liberty.

The fans packed into Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis erupted when Clark snatched her 10th rebound to complete the historic feat, and her teammates poured water on her head in celebration as she received the game ball in the locker room.

“Obviously, it’s cool,” Clark said after the game.

“My teammates have been finishing the ball at a really, really high rate. My assist numbers, that’s because of them.”

She credited the fans for helping lift the team to victory over the Liberty, who beat the Fever in all three of their previous meetings this year, including two blowouts.

“Shout out to the fans, they were unreal,” Clark said.

“They got us there through the fourth. Happy for our group, that was a big one. Gotta keep stacking them.”

With the win, the Fever improved to 9-13 while the Eastern Conference-leading Liberty are now 17-4.

Clark has led a massive surge in interest in the Fever and the league since joining as the first overall draft pick in April.

A game between the Fever and fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky last month averaged 2.25 million viewers, a 225% increase over the comparable game window last season, CBS said.

The Fever’s road loss to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday drew a sold-out crowd of 20,366 fans to T-Mobile Arena, marking the WNBA’s largest regular season single-game attendance since 1999. – Rappler.com