Iowa’s Caitlin Clark once again cemented herself in basketball history books on Sunday, breaking a 54-year-old record to become the all-time scoring leader in all of NCAA basketball history.
With a pair of free throws as the first half closed, Clark tied and surpassed the 3,667-point mark previously set by Louisiana State legend “Pistol” Pete Maravich in 1970. Clark’s top-class play for the Iowa Hawkeyes has made her the biggest star in women’s basketball, attracting unprecedented attention to the sport and generating hype for her entrance into the WNBA next year.
Clark surpassed the NCAA women’s scoring record last month, which was set at 3,649 points, and shattered the women’s three-point record, passing 154 shots.
Her record-setting scoring pace has led to sold out crowds at every Iowa women’s basketball game this season except for two. A ticket for Sunday’s game against No. 3 Ohio State cost an average of $550, the most expensive in women’s basketball history.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a die-hard Hawkeyes fan, celebrated Clark’s accomplishment Sunday by dubbing Clark the greatest of all time.
“Caitlin Clark cements herself as the gr8est college bball player EVER as she breaks the all time scoring record The pride of Iowa & leader of a gr8 Hawkeye wbb TEAM,” he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Congrats to Clark The GOAT”
Clark announced Thursday she will enter the WNBA draft, eschewing a fifth year of NCAA eligibility. She is expected to be the top pick by the Indiana Fever in the draft class.
She has a maximum of nine games left in her NCAA career, with few opportunities left for new records. The No. 6 Hawkeyes need a win over the Buckeyes on Sunday to secure a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament later this week.