Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum is no stranger to elite on-court plays, having won two WNBA championships. So when she said that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was the "best passer" in the league, it is not to be taken lightly.

Plum explained her defensive philosophy on June 18 ahead of Clark's game against the Atlanta Dream, which the Fever lost 108-101. While she talked about pick-up points and aggressive defense being the key to slowing her down, she also praised Clark. WNBA fan account ericaf455 posted the interaction on X.

"And she's, obviously, the best passer in the league; she's finding people. So being disciplined, being aggressive, defending without fouling. And hey, she's gonna hit some tough shots, but you want to play the numbers throughout the course of the game, and do what you can do."

Plum explained that Clark is dangerous in transition and that the key to stopping her is to be good at guarding her, eventually focusing on pick-up points. Even during the Dream game on Thursday, Clark made seven assists with 26 points.

The numbers back up Plum's assessment.

Clark arrived in the WNBA and immediately impressed with her offense. She averaged 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game in her first season.

She ranked first in the regular season in assists, ahead of Alyssa Thomas (7.9) and Natasha Cloud (6.9).

Although Clark was out for three-fourths of last year due to a groin injury, she averaged 8.8 assists per game in the 13 games she played last season.

While Clark has proven herself as a star player for the Fever, she has also significantly affected league rankings.

The assist race: Caitlin Clark vs. Alyssa Thomas

Clark's rival for the assists leader throughout these three seasons has been the Phoenix Mercury veteran Alyssa Thomas. She averaged 7.9 and 9.4 assists in the regular season and playoffs in 2024, respectively, and ranked second in both.

In 2025, Thomas ranked first in assists, averaging 9.2 assists per game in the regular season and 8.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

Now, in Clark's third season, she ranks second in assists, averaging 8.2 per game. Thomas holds first place, averaging 8.3 per game.

Chelsea Gray is also racking up assists this season, averaging 7.1 per game already for the Las Vegas Aces. Meanwhile, Plum herself is in the race, averaging 6.4 assists and ranking sixth in the league.

Thomas is denying Clark the position of assistant leader with pristine passing in the playoffs as well. Clark has yet to prove her playoff skills, as she has only played two postseason games.

She played two games against the Connecticut Sun on October 22 and October 25, 2024, averaging 8.5 assists per game and ranking fourth in the playoffs in that stat.

Clark, though, still has time to prove Plum's statement right in future games. Next up, the Fever will play the Dream on June 19 at State Farm Arena.

Do you think Caitlin Clark can combine scoring and assists to lead the Fever to a victory again? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Surjo Ray