There is a new player on top of the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Career Scoring Record, and she may be the best show to watch on a basketball court today. This, of course, would be none other than Caitlin Clark, who has filled arenas across the country all season long. This would stay the same as No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes took on Michigan on Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with Clark only eight points away from making history.
Caitlin Clark’s Career Achievements Continue Pilling Up
Caitlin Clark kept her hometown crowd from waiting long as she came out hot, scoring a layup right after the tip, followed by back-to-back three-pointers to give her the record about two minutes into the game. Clark surpassed the mark set by Kelsey Plum, who scored 3,527 in her collegiate career with the Washington Huskies from 2013 to 2017. Clark spoke on the importance of setting the record in front of her hometown fans, saying, “This is a place I grew up loving, and people have supported me ever since I was a young girl playing high school basketball in this state. They always pushed me to achieve my dreams and supported me every step of the way. I’m just grateful that I get to wear Iowa across my chest and represent my state that cares so much about women’s athletics and women’s basketball, especially. I get to live out my dream every day.”
Caitlin Clark only needed 8 points to break the NCAA women's scoring record.
She did it in a little over 2 minutes 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/V0xr7hsYhO
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 16, 2024
Clark had 28 points in the first half, adding six assists. Before heading into the locker room, Caitlin Clarke was asked about breaking the record and said, “It’s cool. It’s cool to be in the same realm as a lot of really, really good players. I’m lucky to do it because I have really good teammates and really good coaches and a great support system that surrounds me.” Though Clark had obtained the primary goal of the women’s scoring title by half, more than one record is needed for this ultra competitor. Clark also set Iowa’s single-game scoring record with 49 points, giving her 3,569 points for her career with more buckets to come.
CAITLIN CLARK PASSES KELSEY PLUM TO BECOME THE ALL-TIME NCAAW LEADING SCORER 🔥
CERTIFIED BUCKET 😤 pic.twitter.com/Xx6HjKnuhr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2024
Clark added five rebounds and a steal while dishing out 13 assists to her Hawkeye teammates. Clark accounted for 79 points out of the team’s total of 106 that were either scored by Caitlin Clark herself or a result of one of her many assists, the most by any Division I player in a game over the past 25 seasons. Clark is more than just a scorer, though, as she is the first and only Division I women’s player to reach 3,000 points and 1,000 assists. Iowa Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder took Clark out of the game with 1:46 left, shortly after she made her ninth 3-pointer, tying her career best, on 18 attempts, as she embraced the much-deserved ovation from the sellout crowd as she went to the bench.
Caitlin Clark’s Impact Off the Court
Though Clark has surpassed many women’s records on the court, the generational talent is having a much more significant impact than simply putting the ball in the basket. Through Clark’s brilliant play and unbelievable shooting similar to that of NBA Superstar Steph Curry, Caitlin is immensely growing the popularity of collegiate women’s basketball, which was in full display in last year’s March Madness Tournament. After leading her team to their second straight Big Ten tournament title, Clark dominated the 2023 Women’s March Madness Tournament. Caitlin Clark scored 191 points in the NCAA tournament, breaking the record for scoring in a single tournament along with recording the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA March Madness history, leading Iowa to a win over an undefeated South Carolina to move on to the championship. Though Clark’s team didn’t come out on top in the 2023 NCAA Championship game, she still did get a win for women’s athletics. The matchup between Clark’s Hawkeyes and Angle Reese’s LSU Tigers had a record-breaking 9.9 million viewers on ABC.
Congratulations @CaitlinClark22 KEEP BREAKING RECORDS & MAKING HER-STORY! 🖤💛🔥 https://t.co/jWn7QZZdkQ
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) February 16, 2024
However, this was only the tip of the iceberg, as the Hawkeyes’ preseason game in October at Iowa’s football stadium broke a single-game attendance record for women’s basketball with over 55,000 fans. Thanks to the new NCAA rule changes regarding name, image, and likeness, Clark has taken advantage of her fame, appearing in multiple national advertising campaigns, including State Farm. Tennis champion Billie Jean King has taken notice along with the rest of the sports world, even telling ESPN that Clarke is one of her favorite athletes, calling her a “champion in sports and champion in life. She is the hottest star in basketball, all of basketball, not just women’s basketball. The women’s sports advocate went on saying “with that comes a heavy responsibility to be a leader on and off the court. She gets it, and that is part of the reason she will have an opportunity to be one of the best in her sport and a role model for future generations.”
The Clash Between Staying in College Or Going Pro
Caitlin Clark is making her younger self proud 🥹
(📸 @IowaWBB) pic.twitter.com/mKfCvLyuZR
— espnW (@espnW) February 16, 2024
The biggest question with Caitlin Clark about the next step in her career can best be summed up best by The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Clark could continue etching her name in collegiate history books as she has more NCAA records to chase and a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 waiver from 2020-21. The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women(AIAW) large-school women’s record was set by Kansas’ Lynette Woodard, who played from 1977 to 1981 before the NCAA era. Lynette Woodard scored a total of 3,649 points in her impressive college career. The NCAA men’s record is still held by “Pistol” Pete Maravich, who had amassed 3,667 in his LSU career, averaging an absurd 44 points a game from 1967 to 1970. Clark could stay another season at Iowa, break the records above, and have a real shot at being the first Division I basketball player to record over 4,000 points.
All Caitlin’s Buckets. pic.twitter.com/GyTyvn5RTI
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) February 16, 2024
The common assumption is that Clark will declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, where she is almost a lock to be the first player selected. Caitlin Clark has said she plans to make her decision after this season as her goal is to win Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships and hopes she can make another trip to the Women’s Final Four in March. Though Clark may be undecided, the fans certainly have their minds made up as they chanted, “One more year! One more year!” Either way, whether she is in an Iowa Hawkeyes jersey or a new star for a WNBA franchise, Caitlin Clark will continue to be a must-see TV.
Iowa fans have a message for Caitlin Clark 🥹🗣️ pic.twitter.com/6gYaq3CFwE
— espnW (@espnW) February 16, 2024
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