Caitlin Clark celebrates on the court. Photo Courtesy of Ron Jenkins/Getty Images.
By Allyn Tucker
Boston University News Service
Raising her tally up to 3,569 points in Thursday night’s game against Michigan, breakout Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark officially surpassed Kelsey Plum to set a new NCAAW scoring record. Clark overtook Plum’s previous record with her first eight points of the game.
On home court in front of a crowd full of anticipation, Clark dropped 49 points and added another 13 assists to her stat sheet.
In her quest for the all-time scoring record, Clark’s final step on the ladder was catching University of Washington legend and WNBA star Kelsey Plum, who scored 3,527 points for the Huskies. Plum, a back-to-back WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces, has expressed support for Clark’s achievements.
“I think it’s really cool to see her do it in the fashion that she’s doing it, bringing attention to the game,” Plum said about Clark’s impending new record. “At the end of the day, it’ll come naturally. She’s a baller.”
Clark’s record-breaking game and Iowa’s win came after a difficult road trip which saw Nebraska take down the Hawkeyes in a nail-biter until the final buzzer. The Cornhuskers, led by guard Jaz Shelley’s outstanding performance, out-rebounded Iowa and forced 16 turnovers in front of a rowdy and entertained home crowd. They also held Clark to zero fourth quarter points, leading her to end the game eight points short of the scoring record with 31 on that night.
Even with Sunday’s tough loss at Nebraska, Clark became the sixth player in NCAAW history to reach 1,000 assists. With 220 on the season, she has already solidified herself on the list of all-time great distributors. To add to her accomplishments, Clark is also the only player in NCAAW history to achieve a combination of 3,000 points and 1,000 assists in a collegiate career.
During the 2022-23 season, Clark rose to fame for her incredible scoring ability. As the Naismith Player of the Year and first-ever unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year, she became one of the most well-recognized players in women’s basketball due to her performance in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Clark averaged 27.8 points last season, and she led Iowa to its first ever national championship game, where they eventually fell to Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers.
Clark’s performance has been steadily improving since her freshman year at Iowa, but her younger years were also impressive. Clark entered the NCAAW basketball scene with a bang, averaging 26.6 points and 7.1 assists in her first year. As a sophomore, she averaged 27.0 points and 8.3 assists per game.
Currently averaging a career-high 32.1 points, Clark and Iowa are on track to make a deep run in the upcoming NCAAW tournament. A projected 1-seed, the Hawkeyes are set to play a major role in the annually anticipated peak of women’s college basketball, March Madness.
Photo Courtesy of Paige Albright/BU News Service.
