The Iowa standout holds the Division I basketball record for both men and women.
Caitlin Clark, a University of Iowa basketball player, has broken the NCAA all-time scoring record, which had stood for more than 50 years.
Clark broke the all-time scoring mark Sunday against Ohio State, scoring 18 points on a technical free throw at the end of the second quarter.
The 22-year-old has 3,668 points and counting, surpassing “Pistol” Pete Maravich, who scored 3,667 points while playing at Louisiana State University in 1970.
Clark shattered the NCAA women’s record — previously held by former University of Washington standout Kelsey Plum, who scored 3,527 points — in her game against Michigan on February 15.
Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa broke the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record.
LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers forward, complimented Clark on Sunday, tweeting on X, formerly Twitter, “CONGRATS @CaitlinClark22 on becoming the All-Time Leading Scorer!!” (On Saturday, James broke his own NBA career point record, surpassing 40,000.)
Four things to know about Caitlin Clark’s career so far.
Before breaking the NCAA all-time women’s scoring mark, Clark became only the sixth player in NCAA women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career assists on February 11 against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Clark has already obtained brand endorsement deals with Gatorade, Nike, State Farm, and Buick for about $800,000, according to NIL, which allows collegiate athletes to be compensated for such endorsements.
She celebrated her 22nd birthday this year by giving her teammates new sneakers.
Despite being able to play for the Hawkeyes for another season owing to the COVID-19 waiver her first year, Clark qualified for the 2024 WNBA draft, announcing the decision on Thursday via social media. The Indiana Fever are expected to make her their first-round draft pick.
Clark was selected co-freshman of the year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 2021, alongside UConn’s Paige Bueckers. She was also voted AP Player of the Year in 2023, and she has received other awards during her collegiate basketball career, including the Naismith Trophy, the AAU Sullivan Award, and the Nancy Lieberman Award.
A new age in women’s sports.
Last season, the Iowa basketball star gained attention for his jaw-dropping three-pointers, many of which were taken virtually from half-court, propelling Clark and the Hawkeyes to the 2023 NCAA championship.
Although Iowa lost to Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers, the game’s end was only the beginning. Clark and Reese’s fierce spirit and supremacy on the floor reignited women’s basketball.
The 2023 NCAA finals were the highest watched NCAA women’s basketball game in history, with over 9 million viewers.
Why is the disagreement between two NCAA women’s basketball stars a double standard?
Since then, game tickets have skyrocketed, with some costing up to $5,000, and spectators are frequently queuing up outside college gymnasiums to see the collegiate stars compete.
The newfound attention has also reached the professionals. The WNBA revealed record-breaking viewership and attendance numbers for the 2022-2023 season.
A talented group.
While Clark has emerged as a successful collegiate basketball player, she is part of a brilliant and well-known group of stars.
In February, Syracuse University player Dyaisha Fair passed former Baylor University standout Brittney Griner to become the seventh all-time top scorer in women’s collegiate basketball history.
On the West Coast, Juju Watkins, a freshman center at the University of Southern California, is also breaking records.
Watkins set a 35-year-old record in her rookie season with 11 30-point games, which was previously held by Cheryl Miller, another basketball great and former Trojan. Watkins also had a 51-point career high against Stanford this season.
Watkins, like Clark, grew up in Iowa and chose to build from within.
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