Caitlin Clark pulled up from just inside halfcourt to shoot a bomb of a three-pointer to break the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record.
Coming into the game, Clark needed just eight points to break the record. She scored the Iowa Hawkeyes’ opening eight points on the way to a career-high of 49.
“You all knew I was going to shoot a logo 3 for the record,” said Clark.
The Hawkeyes won 106-89 in front of a sold-out home crowd.
“I don’t know if you can really script it any better,” Clark said. “Just to do it in this fashion, I’m very grateful. Very thankful to be surrounded by so many people that have been my foundation.”
WNBA star Kelsey Plum had something of a social media gaffe when she congratulated Caitlin Clark for breaking her collegiate scoring record before Clark had actually set the record. “@CaitlinClark22 Congratulations on the record, and really your entire season! I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love! See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later ,” Plum wrote on social media. Clark fell eight points short of the record despite opening Iowa’s game against Nebraska with 31 points through three quarters. However, Clark scored no points in the fourth as Iowa fell apart and allowed Nebraska to steal a shock victory against the Big Ten frontrunners. Plum later acknowledged her mistake, tweeting out “My bad, next game”.
However, this means that Clark will now likely set the record in front of a home crowd against Michigan on Thursday. Furthermore, Clark is now just 148 points shy of breaking the all-time NCAA record set by Pete Maravich at LSU in the late 1960s. With five games left in the Big Ten regular season, Clark’s 32.1 points a game could mean she breaks Maravich’s record in the season finale against Ohio State.
However, despite her historic season, no one is quite sure if Clark will be headed to the WNBA Draft this year. Clark is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft and would join former South Carolina standout Aliyah Boston in Indiana if chosen. However, before the season, Clark revealed that her mind wasn’t fully made up yet. “I’m going to know when I need to know. I think it’s very similar to my college decision. It’s like I’m in the recruiting process again. It’s really not something I think about every day or let weigh on me. I’m focused on helping this team be the best they can be. The biggest thing is I’m just going to trust my gut. I’m not going to do a lot of research on what’s better. I’m going to trust my gut and go with that,” Clark said.
Clark, who turns 22 in February 2024, is part of the final class of players who can declare for a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been one of the best, if not the best, players in women’s college basketball during her time at Iowa. She won National Player of the Year last year and was second in scoring average as well as first in assists and made threes. Players have until 48 hours after their final game of the season to declare for the draft.
Caitlin Clark is on the precipice of history. The Iowa Hawkeyes senior is now just 66 points away from setting a new women’s NCAA record for career points. After dropping 38 against Maryland, Clark moved her tally to 3462 points. The current women’s NCAA record is held by former Washington Husky Kelsey Plum and sits at 3527. Earlier this week, Plum told reporters that she was “excited” to see Clark break the record that she set in 2017.
However, there are two more scoring records firmly within Clark’s reach. First is the women’s record for major college basketball. That mark stands at 3649 and dates back to the pre-NCAA days of the AIAW. Then there is the all-time NCAA record, held by LSU legend Pete Maravich. Pistol Pete’s mark sits at 3667. Clark is currently averaging 32.4 points per game. If Clark matches her average across Iowa’s final seven regular-season games, she will close out conference play with 3739 points. Once all postseason games are accounted for, Clark could set the record at close to 4000 points.
However, despite her historic season, no one is quite sure if Clark will be headed to the WNBA Draft this year. Clark is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft and would join former South Carolina standout Aliyah Boston in Indiana if chosen. However, before the season, Clark revealed that her mind wasn’t fully made up yet. “I’m going to know when I need to know. I think it’s very similar to my college decision. It’s like I’m in the recruiting process again. It’s really not something I think about every day or let weigh on me. I’m focused on helping this team be the best they can be. The biggest thing is I’m just going to trust my gut. I’m not going to do a lot of research on what’s better. I’m going to trust my gut and go with that,” Clark said.
Clark, who turns 22 in February 2024, is part of the final class of players who can declare for a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been one of the best, if not the best, players in women’s college basketball during her time at Iowa. She won National Player of the Year last year and was second in scoring average as well as first in assists and made threes. Players have until 48 hours after their final game of the season to declare for the draft.
Caitlin Clark has confirmed she is okay after colliding with an Ohio State fan following Iowa’s game against the Buckeyes. Clark had been attempted to leave the court, which had been stormed by Ohio State fans, when the unidentified ran into her and sent sprawling to the ground. Video of the incident quickly made its online. However, it is not believed to have been an intention targeting of Clark.
Fans stormed the court at Value City Arena after No. 18 Ohio State knocked off the visiting No. 2 Hawkeyes 100-92. Despite Clark scoring an NCAA season-high of 45, no other Hawkeye scored more than 14 points. Meanwhile, Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon combined for 57 of the Buckeeyes’ points. Iowa will look to bounce back against Nebraska on the 27th. Meanwhile, Ohio State takes their five-game winning streak into a game against Illinois on the 25th.
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Meanwhile, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer has tied the all-time NCAA coaching wins mark set by legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Win No. 1202 for VanDerveer came against Oregon, with the No. 8 Cardinal prevailing 88-63 despite losing star senior Cameron Brink in the first quarter. VanDerveer, who took over at Stanford in 1985, can make history and take the record for herself on January 21 against Oregon State. VanDerveer began her coaching career in 1978 at Idaho. She earned her 100th win in 1983 while coaching Ohio State. She hit 1000 wins in 2017.
“It’s a tribute to the great teams I’ve had, the great places I’ve worked. It’s been really exciting because so many people have reached out to me and it’s great for women’s basketball that there’s a lot of attention. I work at a great place, and I have so much support,” VanDerveer told the Pac-12 Network after the win. “Sometimes I can take it for granted because I see her every day. But she’s really been someone who’s changed the game. So it’s an honor to play for her. Every day, I learn something from her,” junior Kiki Iriafen told ESPN.
Caitlin Clark scored 35 points against Iowa’s in-state rivals to become the 15th woman in Division I history to tally 3000 career points. Clark entered the night 22 points shy of the 3000-point mark. However, she nearly doubled that mark as she helped the Hawkeyes avenge their 2021 road loss to Iowa State. Furthermore, Clark became the first player, regardless of gender, in Division I history to record 3000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists.
“It’s special to be able to do it here. I have a lot of family in attendance. But it was kind of the same as when I broke the [Hawkeyes] scoring record. We keep playing. We don’t celebrate in the timeout. That’s not what it’s about. As long as we win — I probably wouldn’t be happy scoring 3,000 points in a loss,” Clark said of the occasion. With more than two-thirds of the season left, Clark is well on her way to set a new NCAA-era (1981-present) record. The current benchmark is held by Kelsey Plum, who scored 3527 points at Washington between 2013 and 2017.
With the win over Iowa State, Clark and the Hawkeyes improved to 9-1, with a shock loss to then-unranked Kansas State the only blemish on their record. Their run has included wins over two ranked teams – then-No. 8 Virginia Tech and then-No. 16 Kansas State in a Thanksgiving Week tournament rematch. Their next matchup sees them play their first Big 10 game of the season, taking on 5-3 Wisconsin. However, Iowa is unlikely to face another ranked opponent until January 13, when they are scheduled to face Indiana. The Hoosiers are 7-1 and were ranked at No. 16 in the latest AP Poll.
As for Clark, she is already putting up a monumental stat line. She is averaging 29.6/6.7/7.6 a night. That puts her first in scoring and fourth in assists in the nation. Furthermore, she is just one of two players currently averaging over 25 points a game. The other is USC freshman Juju Watkins, who is scoring 27.3 a game. Meanwhile, the players out-assisting Clark are McKenna Hofschild (Colorado State), Georgia Amoore (Virginia Tech), and Ines Vieira (Utah).
Angel Reese had a lot to say at LSU’s media day this week. First, she made it very clear that she has no issues with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. “I love Caitlin; we’ve been competing since we were in AAU. It was always fun, always competitive. One day, hopefully, we could even be teammates. She is a great player, shooter, person and teammate. The world is always going to have a good girl and a bad girl. I’ll take that I’m going to be the bad guy because I know I’ve grown women’s basketball and inspired people,” Reese told reporters. The media-propelled feud between the pair stemmed from Reese trolling Clark with the “you can’t see me” gesture during their National Championship face-off.
She also expressed her desire to mount a successful title defense this season. If the Tigers pull it off, they will be the first team to defend the women’s title since the 2014-16 UConn three-peat. To maximize their chances, head coach Kim Mulkey built a superteam from recruiting and the portal. She has two top-7 freshmen and added Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey van Lith from Louisville.
However, the media day wasn’t the first thing we’ve heard from Reese in the run-up to the season. Mulkey recently spoke on Reese’s negative reaction to ESPN projecting her to go eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” Mulkey said.
While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.
Presumptive #1 pick in next year’s WNBA Draft Caitlin Clark isn’t ready to confirm her place in the draft class just yet. “I’m going to know when I need to know. I think it’s very similar to my college decision. It’s like I’m in the recruiting process again. It’s really not something I think about every day or let weigh on me. I’m focused on helping this team be the best they can be. The biggest thing is I’m just going to trust my gut. I’m not going to do a lot of research on what’s better. I’m going to trust my gut and go with that,” Clark said this week.
Clark, who turns 22 in February 2024, is part of the final class of players who can declare for a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been one of the best, if not the best, players in women’s college basketball during her time at Iowa. She won National Player of the Year last year and was second in scoring average as well as first in assists and made threes. Players have until 48 hours after their final game of the season to declare for the draft.
Winning a championship in 2023/24 would likely go a long way toward Clark leaving for the WNBA. The Hawkeyes came so close last season, but a Herculean solo effort from Clark couldn’t overcome LSU. Iowa enter the season as ESPN‘s #6 team. They retain three of five starters from last season but the losses of Monika Czianno and McKenna Warnock will be felt significantly. Furthermore, big transfers and injury returns elsewhere in the Big Ten mean that conference play only got harder.
In all likelihood, Iowa doesn’t make it back to the National Championship game. There are just too many teams above them in the pecking order. ESPN‘s preseason top-25 has LSU, UConn, UCLA, Ohio State, and Utah ahead of the Hawkeyes. However, maybe Clark inspires a Last Dance to go out on top. The season is now only a month away so we’ll soon have the answers to all these questions. Iowa hosts Fairleigh Dickinson in their season opener on November 6.
The WNBA playoffs are in full swing. However, for many of the teams not participating, their attention has already turned to the draft. The 2024 WNBA draft has the potential to be one of the strongest in recent memory. However, there is an air of uncertainty to the draft. While stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are eligible, many top stars may opt to use their COVID waiver and play a fifth season in college.
“If the depth of the class turns out to be what it’s capable of being, having two first-round picks is exciting for what that can do for us,” LA Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “But we have to be thorough [with scouting], because this is probably the last class with so many unknowns.” Meanwhile, veteran Diana Taurasi, who has announced her intention to play a 20th WNBA season next year, sees the 2024 class as having a massive ceiling. “When you look at this [potential] draft class, what these kids have done the last few years, there’s some names that could change your team.”
ESPN Includes A Few Surprises In First WNBA Mock Draft
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 11: Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies shoots the ball during warm ups before the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Entertainment & Sports Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Alongside comments from around the WNBA, ESPN also released their first early mock draft for 2024. The draft considers all players as declaring for the draft and ranks the top-four teams by lottery odds. The number one pick, presumptively held by the Indiana Fever, remains a consensus across most mocks – Caitlin Clark. Clark is the reigning National Player of the Year and one of the most exciting players in college basketball. However, #2 is where the surprises begin. M.A. Voepel slots UConn’s Paige Bueckers at the spot despite Bueckers’ long injury history. Bueckers has been great when healthy. However, she has less than 50 games in her college career and also has three years of eligibility left.
Furthermore, perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that Voepel has Angel Reese falling to #8. Reese is perhaps the most recognizable player in the college game right now. Furthermore, she helped lead LSU to a national title last season and heads into her senior year with a newly formed superteam around her. Two other surprises are Cameron Brink at #3 and Hailey Van Lith at #5. Both players have exceptional skills – Brink as a defender and Van Lith as a perimeter shooter. However, both players have glaring holes in their game, ironically the other’s strengths. As mentioned, all this could change depending on eligibility decisions at the end of the season.
Caitlin Clark is an Iowa legend. Growing up in Des Moines, Clark quickly became one of the greatest basketball prospects ever produced by the state. Receiving her first collegiate offer in the sixth grade, Clark forever endeared herself to the Hawkeye State by opting to commit to the local University of Iowa. She has helped transform the Hawkeyes into a national powerhouse who reached the 2022-23 National Championship Game. Meanwhile, Clark has become a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and a two-time All-American. She is also the reigning National Player of the Year.
She enters her senior year as one of the most hyped players in the country. Furthermore, she is widely considered the #1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. There is very little to say about Clark that hasn’t already been said. There is a wealth of talent in women’s collegiate basketball right now. However, it would be a great shame to see Clark graduate without winning a ring. However, she has recently received a uniquely Iowan commemoration.
At the Iowa State Fair this week, an all-butter statue of Clark was unveiled. While the face isn’t perfect, the level of detail, including fabric texturing on her jersey, is absolutely amazing. However, Clark wasn’t the only famous Iowa athlete to receive the creamy honor. Statues of Kurt Warner and Jack Trice were also unveiled alongside Clark. Warner began his football career at Northern Iowa before beginning an unlikely journey to become a Super Bowl champion and central piece of the “Greatest Show on Turf”. Meanwhile, Trice broke the color barrier for Iowa State athletics. However, Trice tragically died from injuries sustained during a game against Minnesota in 1923. He later became the namesake of Iowa State’s football stadium.
The whole thing is quintessential Iowa. Many state fairs around America have done things like butter statues. However, there is something about Iowa that just adds a little something-something. Perhaps it’s the fact that the statues are presented alongside the Butter Cow, which is a butter statue on a 600lb frame resembling a cow. As for the non-butter Clark, she is still a few months away from getting back to the court. While Iowa has not released their full schedule for the season, we do know that they will open against Fairleigh Dickinson on November 6.
Tony Yayo recently shared his support for LSU Lady Tigers star Angel Reese, who has been facing backlash for celebrating during her team’s win over Iowa in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. During a now-infamous interaction, Reese taunted Iowa’s Caitlin Clark by doing the “U Can’t C Me” dance at the end of the game. The G-Unit rapper discussed the viral moment during an interview with TMZ Sports on Saturday.
He began by disagreeing with the backlash to Reese’s move. “Any kind of sports, talking trash is a part of the game,” he told the outlet. “I mean, it was for the championship game. It’s competition. Even when I’m playing 2k — if you playin’ in the game, with video games, we get excited. You know?”
Angel Reese Taunts Caitlin Clark
DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts towards Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
From there, he credited Reese with taking the iconic move to “a whole ‘nother level.” He said: “I mean, Kanye [West] talked about doing the Yayo dance in a song. John Cena mentioned that he got it from me. So I’m cool with it, you know? It’s just a dance. I don’t take nothin’ personal. It was a dance I created because I was trying to hide from the police. But shout out to all them people — John Cena, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark — and definitely Flavor Flav. But Angel Reese? You know, she took the ‘U Can’t C Me’ dance to a whole ‘nother level.” Yayo famously originated the “U Can’t C Me” dance during the prime of G-Unit.
Even Caitlin Clark herself has admitted that Reese should not be dealing with backlash over the move. “Men have always had trash talk. … You should be able to play with that emotion. … That’s how every girl should continue to play,” Clark said after the incident went viral. “I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all.”
,” Plum wrote on social media. Clark fell eight points short of the record despite opening Iowa’s game against Nebraska with 31 points through three quarters. However, Clark scored no points in the fourth as Iowa fell apart and allowed Nebraska to steal a shock victory against the Big Ten frontrunners. Plum later acknowledged her mistake, tweeting out “My bad, next game”.
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