Iowa's Caitlin Clark Breaks Pete Maravich's NCAA CBB Scoring Record
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVMarch 3, 2024
Iowa star Caitlin Clark is the undisputed scoring queen in NCAA Division I history.
On Sunday against Ohio State, the senior guard passed Hall of Famer Pete Maravich for the all-time points mark (3,668) across the men's and women's games. She needed 18 points to get there—she did it in the first half.
br_betting @br_betting🚨 CAITLIN CLARK HAS BROKEN THE ALL-TIME NCAA RECORD 🚨<br><br>Method of 3,668th career point - Free Throw (+650) 💰<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBBonFOX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DKSportsbook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DKSportsbook</a>)<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/YyWURi1Xcp">pic.twitter.com/YyWURi1Xcp</a>
Clark claimed the women's record from Washington's Kelsey Plum on February 15 as Iowa beat Michigan 106-89. She needed just eight points to leapfrog Plum and proceeded to score the Hawkeyes' first eight points. The pivotal moment came on a deep three-pointer.
Once the buzzer sounded, the focus shifted with Clark quickly closing in on Maravich. With two games left in the regular season, she trailed Pistol Pete by 51 points, so her scoring average (32.1 points) put her on pace to break the record before Iowa pivoted to the postseason.
Clark has already assembled a résumé worthy of legendary status in the college game, and she has had a measurable impact on helping to widen the audience for women's basketball.
The sport was on an upward trajectory before she arrived in Iowa City, and the trend will continue when she moves on to the WNBA. But it's impossible to ignore the attention her exploits have received and the extent to which a rising tide lifts all boats.
There's still one glaring omission in Clark's college career, though.
Iowa came up short in last year's national championship, the first time the program had reached the title game. As much as she has achieved individually, taking the Hawkeyes a step further might be the paramount objective for Clark. Failing to do so might leave her with a sense of unfinished business.
Within a wider context, building a case to be one of the greatest ever is a lot tougher without at least one title.
Breaking a record that stood for more than 50 years is obviously cause for celebration, and plenty of praise will be headed Clark's way after Sunday's game. But Iowa's pursuit of a championship will now take center stage.