Arguably, one of the most remarkable women’s college basketball players of all time has cemented her legacy. Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark became the NCAA women’s all-time leading scorer against Michigan. She needed only eight points to break the record, and they were probably the easiest eight points of her life. She did so by knocking down each of her first three field goals. But the way she broke the record was a sight to be seen.
Clark pulled up for what seemed like a prayer, but for her, it was just another shot. It was nothing but net, and she surpassed Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points at Washington from 2013 to 2017. Clark’s first eight points were the first points Iowa scored in the game. As per Clark’s wishes, the game was not stopped when Michigan gained possession after the shot. Still, with the crowd standing and roaring, Iowa called a timeout when it got the ball back to recognize Clark’s achievement. It was just a preview for the senior. She scored 23 points in the first quarter, hitting eight of her 10 shots (5-for-7 from 3-point range).
Clark may now have another record on her mind, the all-time NCAA points record for both men and women. She’s in third place, behind Antoine Davis (3,664) and “Pistol” Pete Maravich (3,667) and is on pace to surpass Maravich on March 3 in Iowa’s regular-season finale against No. 2 Ohio State. For Clark, it’s a matter of when, not if, she’ll break that record. After Iowa’s final five regular-season games, the Hawkeyes will compete in the Big Ten tournament. Then, they’ll play in the NCAA tournament.
Ticket prices for the game skyrocketed. The Associated Press reported the average ticket price on TickPick was $394. While breaking the record quantifies Clark’s mark on the women’s game, her actual influence was felt during last year’s March Madness run. After snapping South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak in the semifinals, Iowa’s matchup with LSU was the most viewed women’s college basketball game on record, with 9.9 million viewers tuning in, according to ESPN.
Before Clark’s senior season, Iowa paused the selling of season tickets for the 2023-24 season with demand through the roof, according to The Des Moines Register. She knew exactly who she wanted to embrace after setting the women’s scoring record: Her family. It was also clear that the power of the moment and the emotions of the night were a bit overwhelming for Clark and her family.
She embraced her parents after setting the record, and her father could be seen telling her just how much he loved her. The Iowa legend also shed a few tears after the game as everything started to set in for her. After the record-setting performance, Clark and her other Hawkeyes senior teammates – Gabbie Marshall, Sharon Goodman, Molly Davis and Kate Martin – were honored for their years of commitment. “I think just reflecting back over my four years, I’m just very grateful,” Clark said to the crowd when asked what her journey has been like to this point.
Holly Rowe, the veteran journalist who MC’d the Senior Day post-game ceremony, noted that Clark always shouts out her teammates during interviews over the years despite her awe-dropping performances that led to college basketball history. For Clark, it’s something that isn’t forced. Her humble nature comes naturally. “I think it’s easy,” she said about showing love to her teammates. “These people are my best friends and that’s not for show. They have my back, and they do a lot of dirty work for me to have fun and take crazy shots.… They’re my best friends off the court.”
Clark loved that the Hawkeyes “came out and dominated” on Senior Day against a Buckeyes team that’s ranked No. 2 in the country and beat No. 6 Iowa earlier this season. She said, “We played with a lot of energy. I’m just proud of our girls. Five seniors that have been together for a long time, and we wanted to go out and send them off on their home court.”
Clark said she was “soaking it all in” during her last regular season game at home. However, thanks to top teams in the NCAA Tournament hosting games, there could be a maximum of two more games at home this month.