29 February 2024
Williams Arena was the center of the women’s college basketball universe on Wednesday, thanks to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, and to no one’s surprise — and a sold-out crowd’s delight — she turned it into a historic night.
Clark scored 33 points to become the all-time leading scorer in women’s major college basketball, reaching 3,650 points, as the Hawkeyes routed the Gophers 108-60.
Clark entered the fourth quarter needing three points to set the record. She missed a 3 early in the quarter, but when she connected from long range with four minutes, 46 seconds to play, history was made.
The record-breaker proved to be Clark’s last shot of the night, as she left the game shortly after along with the other starters.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder, who knows how fortunate she is to watch Clark perform on a game-to game, basis, called Wednesday’s performance special. Clark made 12 of 20 attempts, including 8 of 14 from 3-point range, grabbed 10 rebounds and had 12 assists.
It was Clark’s 17th triple-double of the season.
“She’s the most dominant player in the history of the game, bar none,” said Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit. “What she is able to do on a nightly basis is mind-boggling.”
Clark broke the record held by Lynette Woodard, who played at Kansas from 1977-81, when women’s athletics were governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. Clark saluted Woodard for being among the players who helped the women’s game grow.
“I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do what I do every single night if it wasn’t for people like her,” Clark said. “Obviously, there are so many great players across the board. I’m thankful and grateful to have those people who have come before me.”
With the women’s record in hand, Clark needs 18 points to surpass Pete Maravich’s major college record of 3,667 points. Clark’s game has been compared to that of “Pistol Pete,” which she clearly enjoys.
“I vividly remember people coming up to me in high school and talking about Pete,” Clark said. “They were telling me that I had to watch him on YouTube. So it’s super special closing in on that.
“It’s super special to be in the same realm of a lot of these really talented players who have done a lot of great things. Not just women’s basketball or men’s basketball, but in basketball in general.”
Clark also broke the NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers. She made eight 3’s, giving her 156 for the season.
It was only the second time The Barn has sold out (14,625) for a women’s game, the first coming on November 9, 2018, in Lindsay Whalen’s first game as head coach.
And it was the second appearance of the season for women’s basketball royalty after an announced crowd of 10,868 was on hand for an appearance by local superstar Paige Bueckers and UConn in November.
Wednesday night featured a large contingent of Iowa fans who basked in the moment, but even those who were disheartened by a lopsided loss for the Gophers (15-13, 5-12) could appreciate being a witness to history.
“It’s cool to see the impact we’ve had across the country,” Clark said. “A lot of times there’s a lot of Hawk fans there. It’s really special; it never gets old.”
Clark entered the game needing 33 points to break Woodard’s record of 3,649 career points, and she came out looking as though she was determined to get there in the first half.
She didn’t waste any time putting her stamp on the game, scoring Iowa’s first 12 points in the opening two minutes and 55 seconds. She made 3 threes while mixing in a drive to the hoop that resulted in a basket and a three-point play.
After a Gophers timeout, she hit another 3 to put the Hawkeyes up 15-5. Clark finished the first quarter with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.
“It was nice to see a couple shots go down early,” Clark said. “I think we just played free and just had a lot of fun across the board.”
It was more of the same start the second quarter. Clark hit a pair of 3s in the first minute to raise her total to 21 points. She finished the half with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Iowa (25-4, 14-3 Big Ten), the No. 6 team in the AP poll, led 53-26 at halftime, leaving only the possibility of Clark breaking the record in doubt over the final 20 minutes.
There was no break in the game when the record was broken, but Clark’s accomplishment was recognized over the PA system as the teams left the floor.
It was a nice gesture, but not one that was needed. The crowd knew what it came for, as witnessed by the countless number of cellphones that were recording every time Clark touched the ball after moving within three points of history.