Add yet another accolade to Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark’s already overflowing collection of trophies and titles. Her latest achievement came on Sunday, August 18th, during the Indiana Fever’s commanding 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm. In addition to the win, Clark etched her name in the history books by breaking the WNBA single-season assist record for a rookie.

The 22-year-old, who leads the WNBA in assists with 8.3 per game, dished out 9 on Sunday to reach 232. By doing so, she broke Ticha Penicheiro’s 224-assist record set back in 1998. Clark’s game is impressive, but there’s another WNBA legend who accomplished this feat four years before the rookie was born. Read on to learn more about her!

Early struggles of Ticha Penicheiro

Who else could it be but Ticha Penicheiro herself? It all started when Penicheiro was born in 1974 in Portugal. Despite limited access to women’s sports back then, Penicheiro began playing for professional clubs during her teenage years. However, she aimed higher, toward the senior level. In 1994, an opportunity finally knocked on her door in the form of the Old Dominion University collegiate basketball team.

With the opportunity she needed, Penicheiro poured her heart and sweat into the game. She even helped the Lady Monarchs win the 1997 NCAA Championship. After staying there for four long years, she finally bid adieu. At this point, she had already scored 1,304 career points and set an all-time steals record with 591.

These stats were more than enough to propel her into the women’s professional basketball league. After graduating with a degree in communication and interdisciplinary studies, Penicheiro joined the Sacramento Monarchs. Similar to what Clark is doing now, Ticha Penicheiro had a remarkable rookie year.

Ticha Penicheiro had a staggering rookie season

Penicheiro tied the record for the highest assists in a single game, not just once but on two different occasions. She also solidified her presence as a proficient playmaker, which led to her selection as a WNBA First Team player the following year. Despite these achievements, she never stopped working hard.

In fact, Penicheiro’s thirst for more remained unsatisfied. In a 1999 game against the Minnesota Lynx, she recorded a career-high 27 points. Fast forward to 2003, and she had remarkable statistics in just four years: 1,027 points and an impressive 1,121 assists. By the time she retired, Penicheiro was already a leader in total assists and assists per game. Her legacy remains strong and distinctive.

Clark was a mere 10 years old when Penicheiro retired. Now, 12 years later, the Iowa native is poised to carry on Ticha Penicheiro’s legacy. You might be wondering, have the two ever met in real life? According to Clark, they connected once during her collegiate career at Iowa Hawkeyes.

The 22-year-old even knows exactly how to describe Penicheiro as one of the most creative passers in basketball history. “If you watch her highlights, she was definitely a better passer than me,” says Clark. “She had way more flair to her game. She would spin around and make these crazy passes. I kind of just run in transition and chuck it up there and hope for the best,” she added. Sure enough, Clark’s passing is one of her top attributes.

Right hands take Ticha Penicheiro’s records over

For context, Clark recorded 3,951 points and 1,144 assists in Division I men’s and women’s basketball. While Ticha Penicheiro set the record in her 30th game, Clark achieved it in her 28th WNBA rookie game. Since the regular season has expanded to 40 games, Clark still has 12 games left to add to her assist total.

If Clark continues at this pace, she could break the single-season assist record of 316 set by Alyssa Thomas in 40 games. “If you’d told me I was going to lead the league in assists coming in here in my rookie season, I probably would have told you that you were lying,” Clark added. All this might have been enough to make Ticha Penicheiro jealous, but she has a different opinion.

In fact, Penicheiro is Clark’s biggest fan. “If I wasn’t celebrating my bestie’s 50th birthday, I would definitely be in attendance. Huge fan of CC and what she’s doing for women’s sports!! I will be watching on TV though…” she wrote a day before the game. When Clark broke her assist record, Penicheiro was even more ecstatic.

She recorded a video message for her, saying, “A record that stood since 1998, and you come here and break it. Super proud of you. I know the work you put in. A lot of people always talk about your shooting. I was always mesmerized by your passing, your court vision, and how you make your teammates better.”

For her, all records are meant to be broken as they are indicators of growth and evolution. With 12 games remaining, Penicheiro is happy that her legacy is in great hands. What do you think? Will Clark be able to break more records? Stay tuned to find out!