Caitlin Clark Wins 3rd Straight WNBA Player of the Week Award amid Fever’s Surge

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 10, 2024

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Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever keep rolling.

The rookie guard was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the third consecutive week on Tuesday after averaging a head-turning 25.0 points, 10.0 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game while leading her team to a 2-1 record.

This comes after Clark was just named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in August.

She was brilliant in her three games this past week, which started when she dropped a triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She followed that with 25 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx and 26 points, 12 assists and five rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Dream.

Clark’s ability to figure out how to thrive in the WNBA so quickly is a major reason the Fever have undergone such a drastic in-season turnaround and are now a threat with the playoffs looming.

They started 1-8 and appeared well on their way to a disappointing season as the rookie guard and the rest of the team’s young talent adjusted. However, they are now 19-17 and in sixth place in the WNBA standings.

They are 2.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm and two games ahead of the seventh-seeded Phoenix Mercury with four regular-season games remaining, so they are likely going to finish in that No. 6 seed spot and be a dangerous opponent for some of the top teams in the league.

While Clark has been the main storyline, it isn’t just the rookie who is playing well.

Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston give Indiana one of the top trios in the league and the ability to score from all over the floor. And Clark’s tendency to put them in ideal positions to create open shots has helped the offense improve as the season continues.

At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Indiana makes a deep playoff run in Clark’s first season.