Caitlin Clark's first 30-point game by the numbers: Fever rookie makes history in another defeat

Clark is the first rookie with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists since Sabrina Ionescu

By Jack Maloney May 28, 2024 at 10:47 pm ET• 3 min read

The Indiana Fever's rough start to the season continued on Tuesday with an 88-82 defeat to the visiting Los Angeles Sparks. They are now 1-7, which is their worst start since 2021, and sit in 11th place. There was one silver lining from the result, however, which was a historic performance from Caitlin Clark. 

Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, recorded her first career 30-point game, finishing with 30 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals, three blocks on 7 of 16 from the field and 13 of 15 from the line. Though she did struggle, once again, in the turnover department with seven, the outing represented a significant milestone for Clark. 

Here's a look at her big night by the numbers:

30

A minute into the game, Clark broke free off a screen and buried a 3-pointer after a feed from Kristy Wallace. So began the best scoring effort of Clark's young professional career. She wasn't super efficient, but she shot the ball much better than she did in the last few games. While a few uncontested layups certainly helped, she also had a tough finish over multiple defenders and knocked down three more triples. Clark is the first rookie to score 30 points in a game since Rhyne Howard in 2022. 

13/15

Clark's long-range shooting is more fun to talk about, but a big reason she set the Division I scoring record at Iowa is because she got to the line time and again. She averaged about seven free throws per game in her last three seasons, and finished second in the country last season with 221 made free throws.