Why Caitlin Clark's brutal WNBA turnovers record might actually be a good thing for her career

Per Across The Timeline, Caitlin Clark now owns the WNBA record for most turnovers in a season with 139 cough-ups.

That number probably sounds alarming because the closest number of giveaways after her is 137, cemented by Alyssa Thomas in 2023. Additionally, there are still roughly 15 games left this season, and Caitlin is averaging roughly 5.6 turnovers a game. But here’s why the turnovers are happening.

Clark plays aggressively and tends to take more risks than most players. Additionally, her head coach, Christie Sides, shared that she wished Caitlin would be more unselfish and create for herself. That means the number of turnovers may stay high for now but will come down as Caitlin grows professionally. Furthermore, for as many turnovers as she has, she sits second all-time in assists for a rookie season behind Hall of Famer Ticha Penicheiro and just ahead of Sue Bird. (Interestingly enough, Penicheiro is third all-time for turnovers in a single season.) In other words, rest easy, hoops fans. It comes with the territory.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Caitlin Clark just recorded her 139th turnover, the most turnovers in a season in WNBA history. And she has also passed Sue Bird for the most assists in a season by a rookie since 2000.

— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) July 14, 2024

Caitlin Clark now has the WNBA record for turnovers in a season (139).

There are 15 games left in the season. pic.twitter.com/FazRP9GRpl

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 14, 2024