Story perspectives

Bird's Record, Vandersloot Double-Digit Avg, Clark 19-Assist Game

5/28/2026

Summary

Sue Bird Records

Sue Bird holds the WNBA all-time assists record with 3,234 assists.
Courtney Vandersloot is the only player to average double-digit assists, posting 10.0 per game in 2020.
Caitlin Clark set a 2024 single-game record of 19 assists for the Indiana Fever.
Chelsea Thomas posted a league-best 9.2 assists per game in 2022.
Chelsea Thomas now averages 8.0 assists, 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Summary

Caitlin Clark Gravity

The WNBA launched an AI-powered “Gravity” statistic on May 26 using AWS tracking data.
Caitlin Clark’s Gravity score of 3.9 tied her for 19th, behind teammate Kelsey Mitchell (5.9) and Sophie Cunningham (4.8).
The league’s top five Gravity leaders—Sonia Citron, Marina Mabrey, Kayla McBride, Rhyne Howard and Kahleah Copper—exclude Clark.
Social-media users and analysts questioned whether the metric captures Clark’s pre-possession defensive disruption, sparking debate on the WNBA’s analytics focus.

History

Historical Context

Founded in 1996 and beginning play in 1997 with eight teams, the WNBA’s first championship crowned Cynthia Cooper as MVP after the Houston Comets defeated the New York Liberty. Decades of expansion and a 2024 draft that drew 2.45 million viewers set the stage for stars like Caitlin Clark, who recorded a league-record 19 assists in a game, driving deeper analytics and new media deals.

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Sue Bird Records

Sue Bird holds the WNBA all-time assists record with 3,234 assists.
Courtney Vandersloot is the only player to average double-digit assists, posting 10.0 per game in 2020.
Caitlin Clark set a 2024 single-game record of 19 assists for the Indiana Fever.
Chelsea Thomas posted a league-best 9.2 assists per game in 2022.
Chelsea Thomas now averages 8.0 assists, 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

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