Caitlin Clark flirts with another record, Fever All-Stars help Team WNBA beat Team USA

PHOENIX — Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark didn’t care about breaking WNBA All-Star Game records. Unless, she said during the game, it was the record of one specific WNBA great.

By the third quarter, Clark had already broken the All-Star Game record for assists by a rookie with nine. But Clark, specifically, wanted to break former Seattle Storm great Sue Bird’s mark of 11 assists in an All-Star Game.

Clark had been talking to Bird, who was sitting courtside, during breaks in the game. It was one of Clark’s multiple interactions during the game, as she also talked to Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham and former Mercury player Shey Peddy.

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“It’s Sue’s? OK, then I’m breaking it,” Clark told ESPN commentator Ryan Ruocco when he told her who held the record. “She’s been talking crap all game, so I’m breaking it. If it was anyone else, they can keep it. Not Sue Bird.”

Clark only ended up playing 26 minutes on Team WNBA. She dished out 10 assists — one off Bird’s record — and had four points on 2-of-9 shooting. While she didn’t break Bird’s record this time, there will likely be more opportunities for the young superstar. Even if she changed her tune on Bird’s record postgame.

“That’s Sue’s record, I can’t take that from her,” Clark said, smiling. “That’s my homie.”

This All-Star Game format was different than most years, pitting the U.S. women’s basketball Olympic team against a team of WNBA All-Stars. The format lent itself to a more competitive game, as Team USA was using it as a barometer before they headed to the Paris Olympics.

“It was a lot (more competitive),” Fever second-year All-Star Aliyah Boston said. “Last year, I don’t know if defense was a factor. But I mean, this year, we absolutely made sure that we were defending, getting shots, and also pushing pace.”

Boston played nine minutes as part of Team WNBA, going 2-of-3 from the field. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana’s third All-Star, played 14 minutes and shot an efficient 6-of-8 from the field for 13 points.

The last time Team WNBA played Team USA in this format in 2021, Team WNBA took the victory with Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale taking home MVP honors. The same thing happened Saturday night, as Ogunbowale scored an All-Star Game record 34 points, all in the second half, to lead Team WNBA to a 117-109 victory over the team hand-picked by the U.S. Women’s Basketball Olympic Committee.

Part of the reason Clark only played 26 minutes is because she noticed Ogunbowale’s burning up on the court. She was planning to check in for her midway through the third quarter, but put herself back on the bench — for good reason. Ogunbowale went 5-of-7 from the 3-point line in the third quarter alone, scoring 21 points.

“In my eyes, she’s the best 1-on-1 player in this league,” Clark said. “She just has that skill. She can get whatever shot she wants, whenever she wants it. It was fun to watch… they tried to send me in for her, I’m like, ‘No, I’m good. I’m gonna stay over here on the bench. Let her do her thing.'”

Now, the Olympic break is the next thing on the docket. The Fever will not play again until Aug. 16, and Clark, Boston and Mitchell will have more than a week off before returning to practice with the Fever.

“I’m very excited,” Boston said of getting a break. “Very excited. I will be resting.”

Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Caitlin Clark didn’t go back into the WNBA All-Star game