Caitlin Clark joins Michael Jordan and Steph Curry in exclusive club with dominant display against Mercury

By Atishay Jain

Modified Aug 17, 2024 07:29 GMT

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Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark on Friday booked her seat alongside basketball royalty Michael Jordan and Steph Curry. Clark exploded with a scintillating double-double performance in Fever's 98-89 win against the Phoenix Mercury at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Fever point guard recorded a stat line of 29 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Following her phenomenal performance, Clark joined Jordan and Curry as the only rookies in NBA and WNBA history to record multiple games with at least 25 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 70% True Shooting (TS%).

The former Iowa superstar registered her second game of the season with the aforementioned stat line. During his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls in 1984-85, Jordan also recorded two games with at least 25 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 70% TS.

Curry recorded four games with at least 25 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 70% TS during his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors in 2009-10.

Clark has played 27 games in the current WNBA regular season. The 22-year-old is expected to play the remaining 13 regular season games for the Fever, barring any setbacks.

The rookie has a terrific chance to overhaul Michael Jordan's mark and even tie or break Steph Curry's record to secure the No.1 position on the exclusive list.

Caitlin Clark's rookie season comparison with Jordan and Curry

Caitlin Clark is one of the leading contenders to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. The Fever point guard averages 17.6 points on 40.9% shooting from the field, including 32.9% from the 3-point range.

The rookie leads the league in assists with 8.3 dimes per game and averages 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

Michael Jordan, on the other hand, averaged 28.2 points on 51.5 % shooting from the field, including 17.3% from beyond the arc. The six-time NBA champion averaged 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game in his rookie season while playing all the 82 games.

Meanwhile, Steph Curry played 80 games in his rookie season and averaged 17.5 points per game. The Golden State Warriors superstar shot 46.2% from the field, including 43.7% from the 3-point range.

The four-time NBA champion averaged 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game in his first season in the NBA.

Jordan won the Rookie of the Year award in 1985, while Curry did not receive the honor in 2010.