Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark has made a lot of noise in women’s sports over the past few years, and she made history on Thursday night.
Clark became the NCAA women’s career scoring leader when she scored 8 points against Michigan. And he did it in front of a home crowd in Iowa City.
It didn’t take long to reach the milestone on Thursday. He made the first two field goals of the game for Iowa, a 2 and a 3, making it three of the eight he needed.
He hit a 3-pointer with 7:40 left in the first, still near the Iowa logo at midcourt.
During a timeout, play was stopped and Clark hugged his teammates as the announcer broadcast the feat to a cheering crowd. A party is planned immediately after the game.
Clark finished the first half with 28 points, 8 assists and three rebounds. His mind was visible in the game.
“It’s good to be on the same field with a lot of really, really good players,” Clarke said at halftime. “I’m lucky to do it because I have really good teammates, really good coaches and a great support system around me – but we have to play better defense.”
With four regular season games remaining, Clark will put more distance on his previous record of averaging 32 points per game.
Three times this season, Clark has scored at least 40 points in a game.
Kelsey Plum previously had 3,527 career points, which she set in 2017. Clark fell seven points short of that benchmark Sunday when No. 4 Iowa’s four-game winning streak ended with an 82-79 loss to Nebraska.
Plum, who spoke in Washington in 2013-2017, said the last word week he’s “grateful to pass that baton on” for Clarke.
“I hope everyone in the media takes the time to understand that she’s not just a basketball player, she’s a young woman with feelings and emotions,” Plum said. The Washington Post. “He’s carrying it with grace, but there’s a lot to sort out there. If anything, make sure we show him our love beyond his performance.”
Clark is a senior with one more season of eligibility remaining on Sunday if he wants to recording her 1,000th career assist, making her the sixth woman in college basketball history to accomplish the feat.
6-foot guard from West Des Moines and his dynamic play captivated the nation for two seasons, including a run to last year’s NCAA title game and being named. AP player of the year.
More than his pursuit of the record, his long 3-pointers and flashy passes have sparked interest in him. women’s game to unprecedented levels. Arenas are sold out its games, home and away, and television ratings have never been higher.
“I don’t want to do really big things, play in front of big crowds, go to the Final Four, maybe not at this level,” Clark told The Associated Press. “I think it’s very hard to imagine. You can always exceed expectations, even your own, and I think that’s been one of the most exciting parts.”
Clark has been making a name for himself since high school. Iowa State assistant women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen first heard about Clark as a sixth-grader in West Des Moines.
“Yes, he is different. You could just tell,” Jensen said. “They’re easy to identify, but really hard to get. Everyone can see what is real, what is true. The trick is to get them.”
Clark, who now holds the NCAA record, is on target for the all-time women’s collegiate scoring record of 3,649, set by Kansas star Lynette Woodard from 1977-81. During Woodard’s tenure, women’s sports were governed by the Intercollegiate Athletic Association for Women. Francis Marion’s Pearl Moor She holds the women’s all-time record with 4,061 points from 1975-79.
The NCAA career scoring record in men’s basketball was held by the deceased Pete Maravich, with 3,667 points. He performed at LSU in 1968-1970. Maravich, known as “Pistol Pete,” died in 1988.