Caitlin Clark was on fire Saturday afternoon during her first game back on the hardwood after injuring her left quadriceps in May. Clark ended the match with 32 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, and 21 of those 32 points were the result of seven 3-pointers. If Clark continues to play at this rate (or exceeds it), there are two records she could demolish in the Fever's upcoming game against the Connecticut Sun on June 17: most 3s by a single player in one game, and most 3s by a team.
There are currently four players who share the record for the most 3s by an individual in one game: Kelsey Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogwumike, and Rhyne Howard, who have each scored 9 3-pointers in a single match. And there is one team that has racked up 19 3-pointers in a regular season game: the Liberty, which has done it twice this season (against the Sun on June 1 and the Sky on May 22).
(The Aces hit a record 23 3-pointers during the team's playoff game against the Mercury in Game 2 in 2022).
Clark's no stranger to breaking records
Of course, Clark is used to putting in record-breaking performances, and this week's rematch against the Sun will likely give her the fuel she needs. The Fever lost 85-83 when they hosted the Sun at Gainbridge on May 30, a game Clark was unable to participate in.
Clark managed to tie her own career-high 7 3-pointers in yesterday's game against the Liberty, a performance that included three long-range 3s within the span of 38 (or fewer) seconds. In fact, all six of her first-half 3s were made from far behind the 3-point line, which is marked at 22 feet. Clark landed shots from 34, 28, 31, 27, 31, and 27 feet.
Clark could play restricted minutes again this week
While Clark told reporters ahead of the game she isn't a fan of restricted minutes, her performance had some wondering if the team's strategy of limiting her play contributed to her results on the floor. Clark played a total of 31 minutes during Saturday's game.
Missing out on 7 minutes of a WNBA game might not feel like a lot, and it also might not seem like a long enough amount of time to impact a player's performance, but there's no denying that Clark offered something special yesterday. White's ability to stagger Clark's minutes allowed for intense match-ups and gave the star a chance to catch her breath — and also made every second on the floor count.