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.
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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.
So... the turnovers. Caitlin Clark's 9 TO are the most in a game in Fever history & are a record for the most in a career-debut, according to @ESPNStatsInfo
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) May 15, 2024
Clark is heating up from the arc, though, and is 3 for 5 from the perimeter since halftime to help the Fever hang around
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.
| Rank | Player | Turnovers | Team | Year |
| 1 | Kristi Tolliver | 14 | Sparks | 2015 |
| T2 | Angel McCoughtry | 11 | Dream | 2014 |
| Crystal Langhorne | 11 | Mystics | 2011 | |
| Diana Taurasi | 11 | Mercury | 2010 | |
| Betty Lennox | 11 | Lynx | 2000 | |
| Chamique Holdsclaw | 11 | Mystics | 1999 | |
| Michelle Edwards | 11 | Rockers | 1997 | |
| T8 | Caitlin Clark | 10 | Fever | 2024 |
| Courtney Williams | 10 | Dream | 2020 | |
| Tiffany Jackson-Jones | 10 | Shock | 2011 | |
| DeMya Walker | 10 | Monarchs | 2006 | |
| Becky Hammon | 10 | Liberty | 2004 | |
| Nikki McCray | 10 | Mystics | 1998 |
Caitlin Clark WNBA debut stats
| Stat | Total |
| Points | 20 |
| Rebounds | 0 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Steals | 2 |
| Blocks | 0 |
| Turnovers | 10 |
| Fouls | 4 |
| 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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