Caitlin Clark Makes More History by Making All-WNBA First Team

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on Sept. 25, 2024. Jessica Hill/AP Photo

While the 2024 WNBA season for the Indiana Fever, and Caitlin Clark, ended three weeks ago when they were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the postseason, the star guard continues to add to what was a historic rookie season. After being named 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year two weeks ago, Clark was named to the All-WNBA First Team on Wednesday.

With the honor, Clark becomes just the fifth rookie in the 28-year history of the league to make the first team. She’s the first since Candace Parker received the same honor in 2008, and joins a list that includes Diana Taurasi (2004), Sue Bird (2002) and Tamika Catchings (2002). Those previous four would go on to garner a combined 29 First-Team All-WNBA selections, with each making it at least five times in their respective careers. Thus, there’s a high bar for getting this accolade, but Clark has surpassed just about every expectation set for her since being the No. 1 overall pick in this spring’s draft.

She averaged 19.2 points, which ranked seventh in the WNBA, to go along with 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. The assists mark led the league, as did her 122 made three-point attempts, which was the second-highest total in WNBA history. On July 17, she set the all-time single-game record with 19 assists, and she also logged the first two triple-doubles in WNBA history by a rookie. From a team aspect, she helped guide the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, thus ending the league’s longest postseason drought.

That type of season nearly unanimously won Clark the Rookie of the Year award as she received 66 of 67 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, with Angel Reese getting the lone other vote. Coincidentally, Clark was also on 66 of the 67 ballots for All-WNBA, including 52 first-team votes.

This is the 15^th All-WNBA honor for the Indiana Fever franchise, with Catchings having 12 of the previous 14. The other two went to Katie Douglas, and this is the Fever’s first All-WNBA selection since Catchings made the second team in 2015.

The rookie guard is joined by four veterans on the first team, highlighted by the league’s unanimous MVP winner in A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. The three-time MVP was one of two players to be unanimous All-WNBA First-Team selections, along with Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, who also claimed the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Along with Clark, Wilson and Collier, the rest of the first team includes Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun. The breakdown in terms of voting was Wilson and Collier (335 points each), Stewart (331), Clark (302), and Thomas (255). Players received five points for a first team vote and three points for a second-team vote. Voting was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season, and players received votes regardless of position.

Wilson scored a WNBA record 26.9 points per game this season, while also setting single-season records for total points and total rebounds. This is her third first-team selection and fourth overall All-WNBA honor. Her counterpart in Collier has now made three All-WNBA teams and is a two-time first-team honoree. She ranked fifth in the league with 20.4 points per game, while also ranking third in rebounds (9.7) and second in steals (1.9).

Stewart ranked in the top 10 of the league with her averages in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. She also led New York to the best record in the league at 32-8. This is her seventh All-WNBA distinction and sixth appearance on the first team. As for Thomas, she was awarded first-team honors for the second time, and All-WNBA accolades for the third time. She posted a season-high of three triple-doubles during the regular season, in addition to ranking in the top 10 in assists per game, rebounds per game and steals per game.

Four of the five first-team selections are holdovers from last year, with Clark being the lone newcomer. She replaces Satou Sabally of the Dallas Wings, who won 2023 WNBA Most Improved Player en route to All-WNBA honors. However, Sabally missed the first 25 games of this season due to a shoulder injury suffered while playing with her German national team as the Wings finished with the league’s second-worst record.

The 2024 All-WNBA Second Team consists of a pair of Liberty stars in Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. Joining them is Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury and Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm. By landing three players on the All-WNBA teams, the New York Liberty were the only squad with more than one player to receive the honor.

Per the WNBA, each player will also get a financial bonus thanks to making one of the All-WNBA teams. The first-team members will receive $10,300 each, while second-team selections will get $5,150.