While Sue Bird may be the greatest playmaker the WNBA has ever seen, she previously revealed that Caitlin Clark can take over the mantle of her all-time assists record.

In a June 10 episode of No Offseason: The Athletic's Women's Basketball Show last year, Sue Bird believed that Caitlin Clark could surpass her record of 3,234 assists following the addition of more games for each team.

"These records have no chance because they play way more games now," Bird said when asked about Clark potentially breaking her all-time assists record. "I don’t want to get too caught up in the games played because it is what it is. I don’t feel any way about it because records are meant to be broken."

And Bird would not be far off with her statement. In her rookie season, Caitlin Clark broke the single-season assists record after averaging a league-leading 9.3 assists per game, with her overall tally going 337.

In contrast, the most assists the four-time WNBA champion has amassed in a single season is 221,  which ties her (with herself) at No. 22 for a single season in league history.

Bird also touched on the fact that the WNBA regular season is now 44 games long. The season previously consisted of 40 games in 2024. A big change, if compared to the number of games she played each regular season.

"But I played 34 games for the majority of my career. So the players today are on the clock with these records. They'd better break those things in like five years," she added.

Although Clark has a long way to go to get even close to Bird's monumental record of 3,234 assists. The 24-year-old currently has 485 assists under her belt in 54 WNBA games.

Clark is currently on pace to challenge Bird's career mark. After all, with how her career seems to be unfolding, the 24-year-old is going on a similar trajectory to Bird's illustrious career.

Caitlin Clark is on an Strikingly Similar Career Arc to Sue Bird

Beyond her road to reach Sue Bird's assist record, Clark and Bird similarly arrived in the WNBA as No.1 overall draft picks.

It did not take long for Bird to become the undeniable face of the league as a rookie in 2002. She led the Seattle Storm to four WNBA championships as one of the most prolific point guards in history.

Clark was the all-time three-point scorer in the NCAA and carried that momentum to the W. She became the 2024 Rookie of the Year following a season where she averaged 19.2 points per game.

While it is still early to call whether Clark will reach Bird's level of achievements, her talent is undeniable.

After an injury-ridden sophomore season, Clark enters her third year with the hopes of leading the Fever to their first WNBA championship since 2012.

So, do you believe Caitlin Clark will have as great a career as Sue Bird?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Utsav Gupta