A new record has been set for single season assists in the WNBA, courtesy of Caitlin Clark.

In a game held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Clark dished out nine assists despite the Indiana Fever falling short against the Las Vegas Aces, losing 78-74. This performance allowed her to surpass Alyssa Thomas’ previous record of 316 assists.

With two more regular-season games to go, Clark now boasts 321 assists this season.

The rookie had a challenging first half, failing to score, but turned things around in the second half, eventually scoring 18 points with a shooting line of 7-of-18 from the field, including 2-of-8 from behind the arc. Additionally, she contributed with eight rebounds and one steal.

Clark’s first half was tough (0-of-5 FG, 0-of-2 3PT, 0-of-2 FT), and her early foul trouble didn’t help, as she picked up three fouls in that half. One incident involving her occurred with 5:53 left in the first quarter when she missed two free throws, fouled Tiffany Hayes of the Aces, and then received a technical foul for hitting the stanchion in frustration. This marked her sixth technical foul of the season, with the potential for a one-game suspension if she receives another.

Things got trickier for the Fever when forward Aliyah Boston briefly left the game after taking an elbow to her face, heading to the locker room with 1:22 remaining in the first quarter but returned midway through the second quarter.

The Fever struggled offensively in the first quarter, scoring just 13 points which matched their season low. Despite the poor shooting performance, they only trailed by eight points due to Kelsey Mitchell’s outstanding first-half display, where she scored 19 points alone and was the only Fever player to exceed five points.

In the second half, Clark found her groove. She made her first basket with a layup at the 7:26 mark in the third quarter and exploded for 14 points in that quarter, reducing the Fever’s deficit to three points, 60-57, as they entered the final period after trailing by as many as 13 points during the third.

The Fever were still in contention, trailing by just three points, 75-72, with 23.3 seconds left in the game. Boston had a significant opportunity to score a three-pointer, but the shot rolled out.

The game was notably influenced by free throw performance, with the Fever converting only 11 out of 20 attempts.

Mitchell led the Fever with 20 points, while Boston added 14. For the Aces, Chelsea Gray scored a game-high 21 points, Kelsey Plum contributed 18 points, and A’ja Wilson achieved a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds.