Caitlin Clark set the mark for most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a single season but there was another reason why was compared to LeBron James: Her vision and passing ability
Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA’s rookie all-time record for 3-pointers made but it was her passing that made her akin to LeBron James (Image: X)
Caitlin Clark made predictable history in the Indiana Fever’s 84-80 win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday. However, it was another aspect of her game that garnered LeBron James comparisons: Her passing and vision.
Early in the first quarter, Clark was being heavily guarded as she brought up the ball by the Sun’s defensive specialist Dijonai Carrington. Swarmed by Carrington’s defense as she drove right, Clark did a nifty behind-the-back move to get some separation from the opposing guard.
With about five feet of space between her and Carrington, Clark calmly pulled up for the 3-pointer, nailing her 86th of the year. In doing so, Clark broke the tie between her and Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard, who set the record in 2022 for most 3-pointers made by a rookie. Overall, the Fever star finished with the game with 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, 3 of 12 from beyond the arc, five assists, five rebounds and one steal in the win.
Clark breaking the WNBA’s all-time rookie 3-pointer made mark was not a surprise as she shot 37.7 percent from beyond the arc on 10.4 attempts per game, and made a name for her long-range shooting in college. But, her passing and vision have caught fans and pundits by surprise, especially in the face of immense defensive pressure.
Throughout the matchup against Carrington and the Sun, known as one of the best defensive teams in the league, Clark had to be creative with how she got the ball to its intended target. Because she was constantly face-guarded and double-teamed, the 22-year-old often hit her teammates with pinpoint outlet passes after a miss and when she did get into the lane, she would find angles or throw behind-the-back passes to her teammates that were cutting or were wide open.
Such was Clark’s handle on the ball that former FS1 host Skip Bayless had to comment on her s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁. “Caitlin Clark pulled off a couple of passes in the first quarter that made me say, ‘Wow.’ LeBronesque,” he posted on X.
Caitlin Clark’s passing prowess has been on full display as the Indiana Fever’s primary ball handler ( Image: Photo by Michael Hickey/NBAE via Getty Images)
Perhaps one of the better examples of her vision came in the Fever’s 90-80 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Down 10 in the fourth quarter, Clark spotted Lexie Hull under the basket and sailed a pass directly into her hands, leading a layup to cut the deficit to eight.
Despite the loss, Clark continued to show what made her such a tantalizing selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Of note, the star guard set the record for most assists in a single game with 19, most assists by a rookie with 252, and counting, and was the first rookie to record 400 points, 150 assists and 100 rebounds in a single season.
All of her accomplishments make her the clear-cut favorite to win Rookie of the Year ahead of Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. That said, Clark has been very careless with the ball, though that is to be expected considering the defenses she has to face every night.
Currently, Clark has a usage rating of 25.1 percent. Simply put, that means the ball is in her hands 25.1 percent of the time, which makes sense considering she is the primary ball handler.
Because of that, Clark is averaging 5.5 turnovers a game, the most in the WNBA. Alyssa Thomas is second on that list at 3.8 per game and the difference between Clark and Thomas is the same as Thomas and Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston tied for 21st in the league with 2.1 per game.
Despite how careless Clark has been with the ball, it’s clear her impact is undeniable. So much so, that she is garnering comparisons with James in just her first year in the league.
