"She's elite" - Sparks coach breaks down how Caitlin Clark elevates Fever’s game

The LA Sparks pushed Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever to the end on Wednesday night but could not leave Gainbridge FieldHouse with a road victory. Behind Clark and Aliyah Boston, the hosts pulled through with a 93-86 win. Clark played the entire game and finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, her second career triple-double.

Clark is the only rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double, and she has done it twice already. Sparks coach Curt Miller threw the kitchen sink at her, but she mostly dealt with his defensive strategy well. The former Iowa star showed why many have pushed her into MVP conversations after her latest impressive performance.

After the game, Miller had this to say about Caitlin Clark:

“She is elite and she is one special player. ... She plays with great pace. She plays with a great tempo, first. She is an elite passer. She sees things before they develop. … That’s what makes her special.”

Clark’s total assist could have been more than 10 had her teammates been more efficient with their shots. Even when they couldn’t convert, the rookie’s playmaking has often given the Indiana Fever more good possessions than not. She is the unquestioned engine that makes Indiana’s offense hum.

Caitlin Clark has been breaking assist records this season. She leads the WNBA in that category with 8.4 APG, surpassing Ticha Penicheiro’s 7.5 APG in 1998. The 10 dimes dished by Clark against Miller’s team made it 286 for the season, way past Penicheiro’s rookie total of 225 in 1998.

---

Curt Miller claims Caitlin Clark’s range only makes her a more dangerous passer

In late August, the Indiana Fever posted Caitlin Clark’s 3-point range on X, formerly Twitter. She averages 28.11 feet when shooting 3s, which is way behind the WNBA (22.2) and NBA (23.9) 3-point arc.

Curt Miller had this to say about the impact of Clark’s long-range shooting:

“Everyone talks about the logo 3s. To me, what that does is she’s got incredible range, but it just opens up the floor for everybody else … You always have to be guarding her. You always have to be giving her attention.”

Against the LA Sparks, Caitlin Clark took advantage of all that attention. Aliyah Boston’s layup with 25.0 seconds left in the game came from LA’s desperate attempt to trap Clark. It was her 10th assist of the night. Two plays later, the rookie converted two free throws to settle the final score before grabbing her 10th rebound for the triple-double.

Like Curt Miller said, Clark is “special” and “elite.”