Caitlin Clark turnovers: Fever star gets 'welcome to WNBA' moment, flirts with wrong history in debut

David Suggs

Caitlin Clark turnovers: Fever star gets 'welcome to WNBA' moment, flirts with wrong history in debut image

Creativity comes at a cost in the WNBA.

To be a lead playmaker is to put yourself in position to make mistakes. And even the league's most gifted creators can fumble the ball, especially when firing off arrows to a ravenous defense.

For Fever first-year guard Caitlin Clark, such matchups could prove daunting. That's not because the 22-year-old doesn't have the talent to succeed at the next level — she most certainly does. But the quality of athletes and of defensive scheme at the professional level is better than she's ever seen.

STREAM: Watch the biggest games of the WNBA season on Sling

Couple that with being handed the keys to an Indiana offense that was stagnant at times in 2023, and Clark's performance in her debut — in which she coughed the ball up with regularity — could be par for the course in her early-career calendar.

Most single-game turnovers in WNBA history

Clark surrendered 10 turnovers against the formidable defense of the Connecticut Sun in a 92-71 loss to open her rookie season.

With the display, Clark made some unwanted WNBA history: She tied for the eighth-most turnovers accrued in a single game in WNBA history.

MORE: How Sun shut down Caitlin Clark in WNBA debut

She also broke the record for turnovers in a WNBA regular-season debut and broke the Fever's franchise record for turnovers in a single game, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

Even though Clark scored 20 points, her WNBA debut was far from a classic performance. The former Iowa star struggled under the watchful eye of Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington.

Still, there's some good news for those in the Clark camp. The list of players to record double-digit turnovers in a single WNBA game features plenty of stars, including an MVP, a Hall of Famer and countless All-Stars.

RankPlayerTurnoversTeamYear
1Kristi Tolliver14Sparks2015
T2Angel McCoughtry11Dream2014
 Crystal Langhorne11Mystics2011
 Diana Taurasi11Mercury2010
 Betty Lennox11Lynx2000
 Chamique Holdsclaw11Mystics1999
 Michelle Edwards11Rockers1997
T8Caitlin Clark10Fever2024
 Courtney Williams10Dream2020
 Tiffany Jackson-Jones10Shock2011
 DeMya Walker10Monarchs2006
 Becky Hammon10Liberty2004
 Nikki McCray10Mystics1998

Caitlin Clark WNBA debut stats

StatTotal
Points20
Rebounds0
Assists3
Steals2
Blocks0
Turnovers10
Fouls4
FG % (FGM/FGA)33.3 (5/15)
3-point % (FMG/FGA)36.36 (4/11)
Free throw % (FTM/FTA)100.0 (6/6)

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David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.