Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has accomplished something no rookie in league history has accomplished.
Clark scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 13 assists in an 83-78 win over the New York Liberty.
It was the first time in WNBA history that a rookie recorded a triple-double.
The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft was one rebound away from a triple-double in an 88-82 win over Phoenix Mercury two games ago.
Clark had 11 points in the first quarter, making 3 of 4 from 3-point range. She reached double figures in assists in the third quarter and surpassed the 10-rebound mark in the fourth.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double
Clark scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 13 assists in a win over the New York Liberty
Clark made a three-point play and Kelsey Mitchell followed with a 3-pointer to tie the score at 75-75 with 2:31 left.
Aliyah Boston scored on a Mitchell steal to give Indiana a two-point lead. Lexie Hull extended the lead to 79-75 with a reverse layup with 1:24 left.
New York’s Sabrina Ionescu answered with a three-pointer, but the next time she took the court, she missed one too, giving her a chance to put the Liberty ahead.
Boston made two free throws with 17 seconds left and Mitchell scored two with 11 seconds left, completing the surprise.
Boston scored 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and had eight rebounds for the Fever. Mitchell scored 14, marking his ninth straight game in double figures.
NaLyssa Smith, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season.
Ionescu scored 22 to lead New York (17-4), which had won five straight games. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finished with 20 points and made four 3-pointers.
Breanna Stewart added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jonquel Jones had 12 rebounds, six points and three steals.
Caitlin Clark makes a pass as Liberty’s Breanna Stewart defends her in the first half
Clark hit a 3-pointer and followed with a layup to spark Indiana on an 8-0 run to start the game. She turned a steal into a 3-pointer to give the Fever their biggest lead at 24-12 with 3:04 left in the quarter.
Laney-Hamilton scored a jumper with two seconds left to give New York the final six points and trail by just six at the start of the second period.
Clark’s turnaround fadeaway jumper gave the Fever a 31-20 lead with 7:48 left in the second quarter. Jones scored the final five points in a 12-0 run and the Liberty took their first lead.
Smith responded with a layup, ending a scoring drought that lasted 5:06. Indiana regained the lead.
Stewart, who averaged 22.7 points in three previous wins over the Fever this season, made two free throws in the final minute to put New York up 39-38 at halftime.
Laney-Hamilton hit a go-ahead jumper and Ionescu followed with a basket and a 3-pointer off a steal by Stewart to give New York a 57-50 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter. Laney-Hamilton hit a pull-up jumper with three seconds left and the Liberty took a 62-55 lead into the final period.
Indiana defeated New York for the first time since a win on May 13, 2022, 92-86. The Fever now lead the all-time series at 50-41.