IOWA CITY, Iowa – Women’s college basketball player Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa continues to make history. In a game against Northwestern, Clark surpassed Jackie Stiles to become the second-highest scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history. She also set the Big Ten all-time scoring record.
Starting the game fourth on the NCAA all-time scoring list, Clark needed just five points to jump ahead of Stiles and claim second place. She accomplished this feat before the first quarter ended. In the following quarter, Clark scored her 3,403rd career point, surpassing Kelsey Mitchell and securing the second spot on the list.
Clark is now chasing the women’s all-time scoring record of 3,527 points held by Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces. The overall record, held by Pete Maravich, who played for LSU from 1967 to 1970, stands at 3,667 career points.
Reflecting on her achievement, Clark expressed her admiration for the players she now stands alongside, such as Brittney Griner and Kelsey Mitchell. She credited her teammates for supporting her throughout her career.
This milestone game took place in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,039 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The previous two times Clark played at Northwestern, the stands were empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She acknowledged the significance of playing in front of a packed arena and expressed gratitude for the support she receives.
Throughout her career, Clark has achieved numerous accolades. She is the first Division I women’s basketball player to record a 40-point triple-double. She also holds the distinction of being the only player with over 3,000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists. Additionally, Clark has more 30-point games than any other player in the last 25 years.
Currently, Clark is averaging a career-high 32 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists. In the game against Northwestern, she scored 35 points and recorded 10 assists, marking her 54th career double-double. Despite missing most of her 3-point attempts, Clark went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
In the game against Northwestern, Iowa emerged victorious with a score of 110-74. They now have an overall record of 20-2 and a conference record of 9-1.
Clark’s memorable performance included scoring 10 points in the first quarter, surpassing the Big Ten scoring record, and breaking the overall record shortly before halftime. The game attracted a large crowd of Iowa fans, with people lining up hours in advance to secure a seat.
Although Clark didn’t have a particularly outstanding shooting performance in the first half, she expressed her satisfaction with getting her teammates involved early in the game. She acknowledged her off-night from beyond the arc but emphasized her perfect free-throw shooting.
Clark’s achievements continue to mesmerize fans and demonstrate her talent on the court. As she inches closer to the all-time scoring record, the college basketball community eagerly awaits her next historic moment.