Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA women's basketball all-time scoring record
Iowa's Kaitlyn Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball. Lindsay Schnell explains what's next for the rising star.
Caitlin Clark and No. 6 Iowa travel That face is Minnesota Earned, in a Big Ten clash on Wednesday night Won 108-60 For hockey. It was another record-breaking night for Clarke. It wasn't just about her scoring totals, but how she did it. (See: Lots of 3s.)
Clark, who now holds the NCAA Division I women's basketball all-time scoring record, needed 51 points to pass Pete Maravich. Who is Pistol Pete, you ask?
Maravich played for LSU from 1967-70, scoring 3,667 points in three years. He did so at a time when freshmen couldn't play varsity basketball, without a shot clock and the 3-point line.
Nicknamed “Ponytail Pete,” Clark has one regular season game left and Maravich needs just 18 points. The Hawkeyes will face No. 2 Ohio State In Iowa City Sunday afternoon. Although it's senior day, Clark hasn't said if he'll return for a fifth year — he's eligible because of the Covid season.
Tickets for that game average more than $500.
Comment: Caitlin Clark and her accomplishments stand out. Stop comparing her to Pistol Pete
She's off to such a hot start that we probably should have seen this coming: Caitlin Clark had her 17th career triple-double at Iowa. 108-60 win33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
It was one of a handful of records Clark tallied in Wednesday night's blowout win over Iowa. Clark has officially scored more points than Lynette Woodard and made more 3s in a season than any other player.
Speaking of 3s, Iowa hit a season-high 21 against Minnesota. Clark went 8-for-14 from long range, but she wasn't the only one feeling it. Gabby Marshall (16 points, four 3s), Dee McCabe (15 points, five 3s), Kylie Feuerbach (13 points, four 3s) and Molly Davis (11 points, one 3) also scored in double figures.
As Kaitlyn Clark has climbed the scoring ladder this season, some have pointed out that while her scoring output is impressive, it doesn't match that of former Kansas standout Lynette Woodard.
Now, it does. Actually, it passes.
With a 3 with 4:29 to play, Clark surpassed the longtime scoring leader in major college women's basketball set by Woodard from 1978-81. That was before the NCAA hosted women's games, so Woodard's record remained only in the AIAW record books. He said the NCAA should recognize and link scoring records from the AIAW days, especially since they already do that right with practice records.
For many, Clark's passing of Woodard would legitimize Clark and all that she had done.
Iowa continues its ridiculous shooting streak from the 3, scoring 16 with 10 minutes to play. At this point, I'm waiting for Hannah Stulke's deeper effort.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark has her second straight triple-double and 17th of her career. He had 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds through three quarters. He was an efficient 11-of-17 from the field, including 7-of-11 from 3.
Iowa dominated every aspect of the game from points in the paint (36-16) to bench points (28-9) to fast break points (30-1).
We still have a full quarter to go. It wasn't the best senior night for Minnesota, that's for sure.
Ho-hum, another day, another milestone for Caitlin Clark.
This time, with his seventh 3 of the night — his third at 7:16, no less — Clark set an NCAA single-season record with 155. He passed former Idaho standout Taylor Pierce. 154 tries in the 2018-19 season.
Of note is the career 3-point record of sharpshooter Taylor Robertson, who played at Oklahoma from 2018-2023. He had 537 in his career. Clark now has 502. Can she catch Robertson?
It seems inevitable that Caitlin Clark will set a new career high for 3 in a game. Her maximum is nine, she is already six and still has 20 minutes to play. Advantage.
He leads all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting overall. In the first quarter, he scored or assisted on 21 of Iowa's 30 points.
But Clark is far from the only guy connecting from deep: Iowa as a team has already hit 12 (12!) 3s and is shooting 57% from the arc. Not so simple. Kylie Feuerbach has three and Gabby Marshall has two. (Marshall has officially reached 1,000 career points.)
For good measure, Clark has six assists, including this nifty bounce pass to Marshall in the lane:
Several 9-0 runs are a good way to take a 14-point lead in the first quarter. The first is all Caitlin Clark (unsurprisingly!) and the second involves some hockey. Iowa leads 30-16.
That said, Clark has already scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Not too bad, especially after some tough games where Clark hasn't been shooting well the past two weeks. He scored 35 runs last time out for the Golden Gophers. Does she come out on top tonight?
As a team, Iowa shoots 61% – Minnesota, how dare you. And Clark wasn't the only active one: Kylie Feuerbach was 2-of-3 from long range.
Iowa also leads in fast break points at 10-0. Right now, the Hawkeyes are scoring from wherever they want.
Nothing like a little 9-0 run from the National Player of the Year to start the game.
Caitlin Clark reeled off nine straight points — including a 3-pointer — before Minnesota finally got into the group. Then Clarke responded … hitting another 3.
He's 51 years away from the record, and logic says he'll break it on Senior Day when Iowa hosts Ohio State on Sunday. But Clark may have other plans as he already has 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting. She has already grabbed three rebounds.
It looks like it's going to be a long night for the Golden Gophers.
The Hawkeyes (24-4, 13-3 Big Ten) travel to Williams Arena in Minneapolis to face the Gophers (15-12, 5-11) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. The game will be shown on the Peacock streaming service. Cindy Brunson will handle the play-by-play duties and Juliana Vianney will be the analyst.
The Hawkeyes fell back to 6th After losing to Indiana. After tonight's game at Minnesota, there is a regular season game at home on Senior Day against No. 2 Ohio State.
Calling Caitlin Clarke's eventual 3,668th point a milestone or watershed moment for the women's game is the kind of illogical nonsense that only serves to create unnecessary backlash, writes Dan Wolken.
Clark entered Wednesday's game with 3,617 career points, just 51 behind Pete Maravich on the all-time scoring list. He is averaging 32.1 points per game this season with two regular season games remaining, plus Big Ten and NCAA Tournament games.
Clark's highest scoring game of the 2023-24 season was also set when he scored 49 points on February 15 against Michigan. Clark went 16-for-31 that game, including 9-for-18 from 3. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out 13 assists in a 106-89 win.
Do you like Caitlin Clarke or Caitlin Clarke?
Love her, hate her, like her or think she's overrated, one thing's for sure: The senior guard from Iowa is on a serious game. Not sure exactly where you stand? We can help you. This USA TODAY Sports quiz will reveal the answer to an important question as you prepare for March Madness: What kind of Kaitlyn Clark fan are you? – Lindsay Quick
Here's a breakdown of Clark's scoring for the Hawkeyes this season:
- vs. Illinois, 2/25/24: 24 points
- at Indiana, 2/22/24: 24 points
- vs. Michigan, 2/15/24: 49 points (season-high, single-game school record)
- vs. Nebraska, 2/11/24: 31 pts
- vs. Penn State, 2/8/24: 27 pts
- At Maryland, 2/3/24: 38 points
- At Northwestern, 1/31/24: 35 points
- vs. Nebraska, 1/27/2024: 38 pts
- at Ohio State, 1/21/2024: 45 pts
- vs. Wisconsin, 1/16/2024: 32 points
- vs. Indiana, 1/13/2024: 30 pts
- At Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 points
- At Rutgers, 1/5/2024: 29 pts
- vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 pts
- vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 pts
- vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 pts
- vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 points
- at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 points
- vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 pts
- vs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 pts
- vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 pts
- vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 pts
- vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 pts
- vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 pts
- vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 pts
- At UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 points
- Vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 pts
- vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 pts
Yes, Clark is a senior… but she can come back next year and be a super senior if she wants to.
Although she Projected to be the No. 1 pick In the 2024 WNBA draft, she could return to Iowa City next season. Since Clark was a freshman in the 2020-21 season, he has a Covid year (basically, that season doesn't count against anyone's eligibility).
The game's best show is taking the nation by storm, hitting logo threes and breaking records as February heads into March Madness, getting closer to the answer to two intriguing questions:
Will Caitlin Clark stay at Iowa for her fifth covid year or go to the WNBA? Also, is he going to represent the United States at the Olympics in Paris this summer?
The first question is completely within her control and is hers to answer. Clark, a fourth-year senior who gets to have a covid year if she wants to, sinks three-point shots and threatening no-look passes and returns to Iowa to pack stadiums around the Big Ten and the nation, it's basically one. And the same by the time the 2024-25 season starts? Or will she head to the WNBA, where she'll be the No. 1 pick in the draft and instantly become a well-known pro, despite the inevitable learning curve of playing with and against the best players in the women's game? the world?- Christine Brennan
Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
