Caitlin Clark has hit the first checkpoint in her rookie WNBA season.
The Fever star is 10 games into her professional career and like any first-year player, there have been some ups and downs.
Following Indiana’s win over the Sky on Saturday, Clark joined Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu as the only players in WNBA history to record 150 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists in their first 10 games.
Now, Clark will get to go head-to-head with Ionescu on the second day of a back-to-back on Sunday.
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The parallels between Clark and Ionescu are easy to see. They both dominated college and went on to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. They’re both prolific offensive weapons as 3-point snipers and high-level playmakers who elevate their teammates around them.
Ionescu may not have come into the WNBA with a target on her back the way Clark has, but they both faced immense pressure to live up to the hype.
How has Clark’s first 10 games stacked up against Ionescu’s? If their statistical comparison is foreshadowing, Clark will be just fine in the WNBA.
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Comparing Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu’s stats through 10 games
This comparison immediately starts with a disclaimer because Ionescu’s first 10 games spanned across two seasons (2020 and 2021). Ionescu went down with a season-ending ankle injury three games into her WNBA career, putting her return on hold for a year.
That means seven of her first 10 games were played as a second-year player, but her and Clark’s stats are still extremely similar.
| Ionescu’s first 10 games | Stat | Clark’s first 10 games |
| 31.8 | MPG | 33.4 |
| 16.8 | PPG | 16.9 |
| 6.0 | RPG | 5.4 |
| 6.2 | APG | 6.5 |
| 0.5 | SPG | 1.2 |
| 0.5 | BPG | 1.0 |
| 4.0 | TOV | 5.6 |
| 41.1 | FG% | 37.6 |
| 42.2 | 3P% | 31.0 |
| 90.7 | FT% | 89.6 |
| 5-5* | Record | 2-8 |
*Ionescu’s Liberty went 0-3 in 2020 and 5-2 in 2021.
Clark has a slight edge in points, assists, steals and blocks per game but Ionescu averaged more rebounds, fewer turnovers and was a more efficient scorer overall. Ionescu also recorded three double-doubles and one triple-double to Clark’s one double-double in that span.
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering Ionescu is the NCAA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles for men or women with 26.
Ionescu’s career highs clear Clark’s through the first 10 games as well.
Ionescu had a 33-point game, two games with 12 assists and one game with six 3-pointers. Clark’s career-highs are 30 points, nine assists and four 3-pointers.
Lastly, Ionescu edged Clark by one 3-pointer in their first 10 games, hitting 27 and 26, respectively.
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Even though Clark leads most counting stats head-to-head, Ionescu gets the nod for a better start to their WNBA careers.
Clark has struggled against the WNBA’s physicality and it shows in her shooting percentages and giveaways. Her 56 turnovers lead the league by far, with 25 (!) more than the next closest player. She does lead all rookies in points, assists and 3-pointers per game, though.
Let her comparison against a two-time All-Star like Ionescu be a sign that Clark is going to be just fine in the WNBA.
