CNN
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Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson and Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark both broke WNBA records on Sunday: Wilson became the first player to score 1,000 points in a single season and Clark broke the rookie points record.
Wilson set the season record for most points with a mid-range jumper with just under two minutes left in the game against the Connecticut Sun.
The crowd at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas gave the two-time MVP a rousing round of applause and held up signs with the number 1,000 and the words “THE GOAT.” The Aces eventually won 84-71.
Meanwhile, Clark increased the WNBA rookie record to 761 points in her team’s 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings and finished the game with a career-high 35 points.
The 22-year-old broke the rookie record of 744 points set by Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus, who was selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2006 WNBA Draft.
This performance marks another historic season for the 2024 No. 1 pick, where she set the WNBA’s single-season assists record, the single-game assists record with 19 against the Dallas Wings in July and the rookie assists record last month, among other achievements. Clark is also the first rookie to record a triple-double and holds the most three-pointers made by a rookie in league history.
Wilson’s teammates on the Aces celebrated and hugged the 28-year-old after she was taken out of the game for breaking the single-season points record.
“My teammates were like, ‘All right, come on,'” Wilson said. “If anyone needs to tell me something, my teammates will make sure I know exactly what’s going on. It was fun. I’m glad I finally got it done.”
Wilson thanked fans for their support, adding that she was “grateful” to be part of a franchise like the Aces and the fan base.
“It’s unbelievable,” Wilson said. “It kind of hit me when I saw literally everyone stand up when I got the basketball. I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa… Wait a minute, what? That’s pressure.’ You’ve got to love fans like that. Fans that are really into the game are the best.”
Wilson said she was “surprised” that no one in league history had ever scored 1,000 points in a season.
“There are some baskets in this league,” Wilson said. “It was pretty surreal, but it was one of those things I didn’t know was within reach. It didn’t really sink in until the second half when I was like, ‘Oh no, this is doable.’ … Now I’m living in it, I’m living my dream and I’m so grateful to be able to say I’m here and I’m here now. I know someone is going to smash it soon and get to 2,000 points in a season, so I’m going to hold on to it now while I’ve got it.”
Last week, Wilson set the league record for most points scored in a WNBA season, surpassing the existing record of 939 points set last year by Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm.
Clark called breaking Augustus’ record a full-circle moment, recalling it as one of her earliest WNBA memories.
“When I went to my first WNBA game, I think Seimone was the first player I ever met, standing courtside watching them warm up,” Clark said.
“…This definitely brings us full circle. I remember taking a picture of her with my dad’s little phone,” she said. “I was always a fan of her game and the way she could throw the ball and score. Like I said, this definitely brings us full circle.”
Clark and the Fever improved their record to 20-19 and previously secured their first playoff spot since 2016.
Indiana has one game left in the regular season, on Thursday against the Washington Mystics.
The Aces improved their record to 25-13 after Sunday’s game and have two games left in the regular season.
Wilson can try to add to her historic point total this year next Tuesday against the Storm in Seattle.
