Arguably the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time has cemented her legacy.
Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark became the NCAA women’s all-time leading scorer on Thursday night against Michigan.
Clark needed just 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.
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Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the South Carolina Gamecocks 77-73 during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Clark pulled up from logo range in 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 she scored for Washington from 2013 to 2017.
In fact, her eight points were the first points Iowa scored in the game.
As per Clark’s wishes, they did not immediately stop the game when Michigan gained possession after the shot, but with the ovation roaring, Iowa called a timeout when they got the ball back, so Clark was able to take in the moment.
Oh, and that was just a preview for the senior – she dropped 23 points in the first quarter, hitting eight of her 10 shots (5-for-7 from three-point land)
Clark now may have another record on her mind – the all-time NCAA points record for both men and women.
She’s currently in third, 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.
But for Clark, it’s practically 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, and likely go pretty far. Then, they’ll have the women’s March Madness tournament, where they can again make a serious run.
Ticket prices for Thursday’s game skyrocketed, with The Associated Press reporting that the average ticket price was at $394 on TickPick.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates in the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Spectrum Center on November 09, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
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While breaking the record has put a number next to Clark’s impact on the women’s game, her true 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.
Clark famously hit the “you can’t see me” celebration throughout the tournament, which LSU’s Angel Reese pulled off near Clark in the championship. Reese was criticized for it, but Clark was all about it, ashing Reese “should never be criticized for what she did.”
Before her senior season, Iowa was forced to pause the selling of season tickets for the 2023-24 season with demand through the roof, according to The Des Moines Register.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates with teammates following an NCAA college basketball game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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Clark had 31 points through three quarters on Saturday in her first quest to break the women’s record, but went scoreless in the fourth.
Fox News’ Joe Morgan, Chantz Martin, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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