With her favorite player looking on and another great women’s scorer in attendance, Caitlin Clark became the leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball Sunday over Ohio State.
The record was expected — Clark started the game just 18 points from passing Pete Maravich — but caused a celebration all the same. When Clark hit two free throws with .3 seconds to play in the first half, Iowa fans went crazy. Included in the crowd was former WNBA MVP Maya Moore, Clark’s childhood idol, and Lynette Woodard, previously the best scorer in the history of women’s major-college basketball.
It was a fitting moment for the homegrown superstar who said last week that this would be her last college season and she will enter the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Maravich scored 3,667 points at LSU from 1967-70, before freshmen were eligible to play and the 3-point line existed. His record has stood for more than five decades (though Antoine Davis came extremely close to passing it when he scored 3,664 points for Detroit Mercy from 2018-2023). While some have argued we shouldn’t compare Clark and Maravich because they played in such different eras, there’s no question it’s a milestone worth acknowledging.
And she’s not done yet. Clark will continue to add to her career points total as Iowa begins the postseason. The Hawkeyes have a bye into the Big Ten quarterfinals, and will play their first game of the conference tourney on Friday. After their run through the conference tournament, Iowa is set to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament as a top-4 seed.
It is entirely possible that Clark, one of the most prolific scorers in the history of basketball, will in the end set a record that might never be broken.
Nike’s newest Caitlin Clark commercial
Nike was ready for Clark to become the NCAA’s leading scorer.
The shoe giant, which currently has Clark on its roster of athletes, clearly had fun with a new commercial that lists Clark’s accomplishments, and calls her the “current even-more-outstanding player.” Watch below:
Travis Scott in town to watch Caitlin Clark
Fellow athletes aren’t the only stars impressed by Clark. Rapper Travis Scott was at Sunday’s game to watch Clark break Maravich’s all-time scoring record.
“Caitlin is my friend,” Scott told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “Here for her and Gabbie Marshall who is amazing.”
On X, Scott said he “might need that #22 jersey tonight!!!!!” Clark, of course, wears No. 22.
WNBA can’t wait for Caitlin Clark to join the party
The WNBA and the Indiana Fever are just a tad excited that Clark is taking her show to the league soon.
Both the W and the Fever congratulated Clark on social media after she broke Maravich’s record.
“congratulations to Caitlin Clark on passing Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record” the Fever said on X, adding a fire emoji.
The WNBA congratulated her and said, “3,668 points … and counting.”
Clark announced last week that she will forego a fifth season at Iowa and turn pro. The Fever has the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft next month, and is all but certain to take Clark with it. Will Clark be able to elevate not just the Fever, but the league as a whole? – Nancy Armour
See Caitlin Clark’s free throw that broke the record
Watch the shot here.
Halftime: Iowa 48, Ohio State 39
Talk about a frenzied end to the first half.
Just two points from the record, Clark launched a 3 with 14 seconds left — way too much time — allowing Ohio State to score again before the period ended, bringing Ohio State within five, 44-29.
But then Iowa got out in transition (again), and Stuelke got fouled on a shot attempt. In the aftermath of that foul call, Ohio State’s McMahon was hit with a technical for pushing Clark, which led to two free throws from Clark. And that’s how she broke the record. So suddenly, it’s a four-point Iowa possession, and the Hawkeyes have a nine-point halftime lead.
Naturally, Clark leads all scorers with 18 points.
The difference right now is in the paint, where Iowa has doubled up the Buckeyes, outscoring them 20-10 (Stuelke has 10 of those 20 paint points, plus four points from the charity stripe). Iowa has also taken 12 free throws to Ohio State’s four. Both of these things are helping cover the fact that Iowa has 10 turnovers.
Sheldon leads Ohio State with 12 points, but McMahon still only has four.
Also, Iowa announced that Davis is out for the rest of the game with a knee injury. That’s a tough loss for Iowa. Davis doesn’t score much, but she does a lot that doesn’t show up in the box score. – Lindsay Schnell
How Caitlin Clark passed Pete Maravich with her 3,668th point
Well that was anticlimactic.
Instead of hitting a logo 3 to break Maravich’s all-time scoring record, as she did to pass Kelsey Plum, Clark got it with a free throw with less than a second left in the first half.
Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon had bumped Clark slightly, but Clark did her best Cristiano Ronaldo imitation to sell it and McMahon was hit with a technical. Clark made the first free throw to tie Maravich, then the second to get the record for herself.
When the halftime buzzer sounded, Clark’s teammates jumped up and down and the crowd went wild.
“Not really,” Clark told Fox’s Allison Williams at halftime. “But then when they announced and everybody screamed, that’s when I knew. Pretty cool.” – Nancy Armour
6:39, 2Q: Iowa’s Molly Davis goes down
After making a great defensive play and poking the ball loose, Molly Davis is down.
Davis took an awkward fall when she stepped in front of an Ohio State pass, and instantly grabbed for her right knee. On the replay, it looked like she badly rolled her right ankle. She is clearly in a lot of pain, and Iowa staffers had to carry her off the floor.
As the crowd chanted her name, Davis gave the thumbs up as she went back into the tunnel and to the training room. Iowa had a 36-26 lead when Davis went down. – Lindsay Schnell
End of 1Q: Iowa 28, Ohio State 19
Sheesh, Iowa plays well at home.
A 17-3 run midway through the first quarter helped the Hawkeyes build as much as a 15-point lead. Part of that run came from Iowa slicing and dicing Ohio State’s vaunted press. Iowa already has a 7-2 edge in fast break points, and Clark already has five assists (and just one turnover).
Meanwhile, Clark is just 12 points away from passing Maravich after two first-quarter 3s.
Ohio State seems to be settling a little. Jacy Sheldon already has nine points, but if the Buckeyes are going to pull off another win over Iowa, Cotie McMahon, who currently has just two points, has to get going offensively. – Lindsay Schnell
Caitlin Clark shines with passing, too
Clark’s scoring gets the attention, but my word, her court vision and passing is just as lethal. She has just three points through the first seven-plus minutes of the game but five assists, including a slick pass through traffic to Hannah Stuelke. Stuelke drew a foul on the driving layup and made the free throw to convert the three-point play to put Iowa up 22-10. – Nancy Armour
4:39, 1Q: Iowa 13, Ohio State 7
Fox Sports analyst Sara Kustok said it best: “This building might explode.”
It is LOUD in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the Buckeyes seem rattled by it. Clark only has three points so far, connecting on just 1-of-4 attempts, but Iowa, a team not known for defense, has already forced Ohio State into three turnovers.
And while Clark might not be shooting great early, her team came to play and has hit on 4-of-6 attempts. All together, Iowa is shooting 50% from the field. That’s a good way to get revenge on one of the toughest losses of the season.
How to watch Iowa vs. Ohio State
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 6 Iowa can be seen nationally on Fox and can be streamed using the Fox Sports App. The game can also be found on Fubo. For Fox, Gus Johnson will be on the play-by-play with analyst Sarah Kustok. Allison Williams will handle sideline duties.
Maya Moore surprises Caitlin Clark for senior day
Caitlin Clark got the ultimate surprise on senior day — a visit from her favorite player.
Anyone who’s talked to Clark knows that as a young girl, she pretty much worshipped Maya Moore, the former WNBA MVP who lead the Minnesota Lynx to four WNBA titles during her eight-year career. Clark’s dad, Brent, would make the 3.5-hour drive from their home in Des Moines to Minneapolis to watch Moore, and after a game once, Caitlin ran on the floor to hug Moore. Caitlin said of meeting her idol, “Ten seconds can go a long way in someone’s life.”
Sunday morning, she got a lot more than 10 seconds though.
Standing outside the Iowa locker room after shoot around, Clark was being interviewed when Moore walked on the scene. Clark shrieked in excitement, and hugged her hero again.
“I feel like I’m fangirl-ing,” said Clark, who was clearly overcome with emotion. It was a pure, joyful moment.
Earlier this season, USA TODAY Sports spoke to Moore, who praised Clark’s performance in the NCAA tournament, saying of an athlete who’s able to thrive when the lights are brightest, “that’s the marker of someone who’s the real deal.” – Lindsay Schnell
Stop comparing Caitlin Clark and Pete Maravich
If women’s basketball fans and advocates are honest about why the Caitlin Clark phenomenon is breaking through in a way that superstars in previous eras of their sport have not, they need to acknowledge an indelicate but crucial factor in her popularity.
While grievance is a powerful tool in sports and has long been necessary to advance equality and create opportunity for women, Clark has never presented herself as the face of a larger cause. Part of her appeal to the fans who have either ignored or mocked women’s basketball in the past — mostly men, of course — is that they aren’t being shamed to pay attention. Her charisma and style stand on their own.
And as this weekend approaches, where the narrative around Clark will now turn to the 3,667-point mark that has forever been associated with Pete Maravich, that’s exactly where her achievements should remain.
On their own.
Just like Pistol Pete’s.
Read Dan Wolken’s column here.
What Caitlin Clark has done is bigger than any number
The record, and the numbers behind it, really don’t matter.
How many points Caitlin Clark has when she finishes this season, how many more that is than Pete Maravich had — they’ll all eventually become footnotes. Future answers to trivia questions.
What does matter is how Clark’s assault on the record books captivated the country, reflecting a seismic shift in how women’s sports, and the athletes who play them, are viewed.
Read Nancy Armour’s column here.
Can anyone challenge Caitlin Clark’s NCAA scoring record?
Kelsey Plum’s record stood for seven years. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder thinks Clark’s could stand even longer.
“This record is going to stand for a long time and I’m just glad she’s wearing black and gold,” Bluder said.
Bluder also said she loved that Clark set the record with a logo 3, the shot that’s become her signature.
“You do it, you do it well, girl,” Bluder said. – Nancy Armour
Caitlin Clark stats
Clark enters Sunday’s game with 3,650 career points, just 18 from passing Pete Maravich on the all-time scoring list. She is averaging 32.1 points per game this season with one regular-season game remaining, plus Big Ten and NCAA tournament games.
What is Caitlin Clark’s highest-scoring game?
Clark’s highest-scoring game was also her record-breaking performance on Feb. 15 against Michigan in the 2023-24 season, when she scored 49 points. Clark shot 16-for-31 that game, including 9-for-18 from 3. She also grabbed five rebounds and handed out 13 assists in the 106-89 win.
What type of Caitlin Clark fan are you? Take the quiz.
Do you love Caitlin Clark or do you LOVE Caitlin Clark?
Love her, hate her, like her or think she’s overrated, one thing is for sure: The senior guard from Iowa has serious game.
Not sure exactly where you stand? We can help you out. This USA TODAY Sports quiz will reveal the answer to a crucial question as we prep for March Madness: What kind of Caitlin Clark fan are you? – Lindsay Schnell
Sheryl Swoopes speaks with Caitlin Clark after viral comments
After making a controversial dig at Caitlin Clark as she neared the women’s all-time NCAA scoring record, Sheryl Swoopes said she spoke to the Iowa star about her comments − thanks to LSU’s Angel Reese.
The three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player was on the broadcast for Sunday’s game between Baylor and Texas Tech, where she said Reese helped facilitate a conversation between her and Clark.
“A couple of weeks ago, I reached out to Angel and had a really good conversation with Angel over the phone and sent a message to Caitlin. She responded. She and I went back and forth,” Swoopes said. “I won’t share what she said, I’ll leave that to her if she wants to share. But I will say, what I said to her was, ‘I made a mistake in saying it was your fifth year when it is your fourth.’ “ – Jordan Mendoza
How tall is Caitlin Clark?
Clark is 6-foot. Big guards have become more common in women’s basketball the last decade or so, and Clark’s size absolutely helps her because she’s able to see over defenders on the break and helps her get vertical separation when she goes up for a shot.
Also of note: Clark, who’s pretty thin, worked hard last summer to put on eight pounds of muscle and that has made a huge difference in her game, particularly when she drives to the rim.
Clark-mania: A look at how much Caitlin Clark fans travel and spend to watch Iowa star
By now you’ve probably heard that Iowa All-American Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player of the year, has a tendency to sell out any arena she plays in. But for a closer look at #Clarkonomics — as ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli has termed it — USA TODAY reporter Jim Sergent worked up a graphic look at just how much Iowa fans will spend and how far they’ll travel to see Clark in person. The numbers are telling, to say the least.
WNBA legend Sue Bird: Caitlin Clark will have ‘success early’ in league
Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird believes Caitlin Clark’s game will translate well into the WNBA.
“I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early,” Bird said during an appearance on ”The Sports Media Podcast” with Richard Deitsch, which airs in full on Thursday.
Bird cites the Iowa star’s range as the key weapon to her success. (Clark did break the women’s all-time NCAA scoring record last week on a 35-foot logo shot, after all.) “I think a lot of it comes down to her long-distance shooting. That is her separator. You’re not really used to guarding people out there,” Bird explained. – Cydney Henderson
Caitlin Clark game-by-game points this season
Here’s a breakdown of Clark’s scoring this season for the Hawkeyes:
● at Minnesota, 2/28/24: 33 points
● vs. Illinois, 2/25/24: 24 points
- at Indiana, 2/22/24: 24 points
- vs. Michigan, 2/15/24: 49 points (season-high, school record for single game)
- vs. Nebraska, 2/11/24: 31 points
- vs. Penn State, 2/8/24: 27 points
- at Maryland, 2/3/24: 38 points
- at Northwestern, 1/31/24: 35 points
- vs. Nebraska, 1/27/2024: 38 points
- at Ohio State, 1/21/2024: 45 points
- vs. Wisconsin, 1/16/2024: 32 points
- vs. Indiana, 1/13/2024: 30 points
- at Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 points
- at Rutgers, 1/5/2024: 29 points
- vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 points
- vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 points
- vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 points
- vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 points
- at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 points
- vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 points
- vs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 points
- vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 points
- vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 points
- vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 points
- vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 points
- vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 points
- at UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 points
- vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 points
- vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 points
