Throughout Caitlin Clark’s three-plus seasons at Iowa, she has incessantly sprinted towards, and previous, no matter is in entrance of her. Typically, meaning blowing by defenders en path to layups on the rim. Generally, she dashes round screens and away from opponents to create house for catch-and-shoot 3s. For the reason that begin of the season, Clark has had her eye on chasing former Washington star Kelsey Plum’s NCAA girls’s basketball scoring file of three,527 factors. “(She was) coming in able to bust it down,” Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder informed the Massive Ten Community final week. “This hasn’t been a burden to her.”
Main into No. 4 Iowa’s contest Thursday in opposition to Michigan, Clark had averaged a nation-leading 33.8 factors by means of her final 5 video games. Historical past didn’t appear to weigh on her.
Again and again, as Clark handed opponents on the courtroom and contemporaries within the file e book, she elevated from 3 and rose to the event. As she turned the NCAA girls’s basketball all-time main scorer on Thursday, she did so in a 49-point outing, setting a brand new career-high and Iowa file within the course of. Now, holding the NCAA scoring title with 3,569 factors, her chase to the highest shall be remembered for her sheer dominance and unmatched consistency. “What she’s carried out to uplift our program and girls’s basketball nationally is spectacular,” Bluder mentioned after the Hawkeyes’ 106-89 win.
Throughout Clark’s freshman season, her 3-point prowess was instantly obvious. In 30 video games, she made 116 pictures from behind the arc, greater than double that of any of her teammates. In response to CBB Analytics, Clark additionally knocked down 22 extra above-the-break 3s within the 2020-21 season than another participant within the nation, taking pictures virtually half of her discipline purpose makes an attempt from that vary.
Enjoying in a fast-paced system, Clark has been inspired to shoot each time, and from wherever, she feels comfy. In every of the final three seasons, she has taken greater than 30 p.c of Iowa’s complete shot makes an attempt. By comparability, fellow top-five profession scorers Kelsey Mitchell and Brittney Griner each took round 26 p.c of their group’s pictures throughout their senior seasons. Final 12 months’s second-leading Massive Ten scorer (behind Clark), Mackenzie Holmes, took solely 21.6 p.c of Indiana’s complete discipline purpose makes an attempt.
Clark’s success from deep has been integral to her success. Of the 4 different gamers in NCAA top-five scoring, solely Mitchell (2014-18) totaled extra factors from 3. However, Clark’s level complete, very like Plum’s, displays a balanced repertoire. The 6-foot Iowa guard has recorded almost 40 p.c of her factors from 2 and simply over 40 p.c from behind the arc.
Clark is a menace just about anyplace on the ground. Think about that she entered Thursday as a career-42.4 p.c shooter on proper wing 3s — the nationwide common from there final season was 30.6 p.c, in line with CBB Analytics — whereas additionally taking pictures almost 40 p.c on left baseline 2s — slightly below 10 p.c above the nationwide common in 2023. Even across the rim, she’s extra prolific than her friends, taking pictures 66.1 p.c in her profession heading into Iowa’s most up-to-date victory, in comparison with the 57.1 p.c Division I mark a 12 months in the past. “Most everyone needs to speak about her long-range shot,” assistant coach Abby Stamp mentioned. “We’re somewhat bit extra full dimensional in how we view her recreation.”
Other than Clark’s manufacturing across the basket, the second-highest share of her factors come from the left wing. She usually creates house from there for her defenders on step-back leaning triples.
As Clark’s profession progressed, her recreation created a fervor. In response to Vivid Seats, the typical ticket worth for Iowa’s highway video games this season is almost $108. Of the Hawkeyes’ 32 regular-season video games this season, 30 are both bought out or have set enviornment attendance data for ladies’s basketball — the lone exceptions have been Iowa’s impartial web site video games at a Thanksgiving match.
Although Clark has lit up seemingly each foe she’s confronted — solely as soon as in her 126 profession video games has she scored fewer than 10 factors — there isn’t a opponent she has dominated fairly like Nebraska. Following final Sunday’s contest, wherein she completed with 31 factors, she has scored 309 complete factors in opposition to the Cornhuskers, essentially the most in opposition to a single foe. Her success in opposition to convention contenders Indiana (226 factors) and Ohio State (203 factors) reinforces her greatness in opposition to the convention’s prime competitors. Unsurprisingly, Clark has thrived in opposition to Michigan as nicely, regardless of taking part in solely her fifth recreation in opposition to the Wolverines on Thursday. She entered the record-breaking contest averaging 34.8 factors in opposition to the Wolverines, her highest per recreation common in opposition to an opponent she’s performed no less than thrice. That common solely elevated along with her 49-point exhibiting.
Past Massive Ten faculties, Clark has scored greater than 100 factors in opposition to three different conferences. Specifically, she has thrived in opposition to Missouri Valley Convention faculties. Of her 325 profession factors in opposition to MVC opponents, 102 of these are in opposition to Northern Iowa. Clark has scored 93 factors on Drake, which is positioned in close by Des Moines. Following an identical theme, the Massive 12 opponent she’s scored essentially the most in opposition to is Iowa State (114).
Stamp applauds Clark for her dedication to Iowa’s conditioning, diet and energy packages as usually neglected keys to her success. “I feel she simply deserves a ton of credit score for the way she’s purchased into that, and the best way she’s handled her physique and actually thinks of herself in an expert manner,” Stamp mentioned. Clark has remained sturdy and has by no means missed a recreation. She has averaged no less than 33 minutes per recreation every season, too. Coupled along with her availability and her skill to play prolonged minutes, Clark has created a chance for a lot of what she’s earned.
Following Thursday’s recreation, 799 of Clark’s 1,171 discipline objectives have been unassisted, with teammates credited for an help on solely 372 baskets.
Contemplating the expertise on Iowa’s roster, it’s not precisely stunning that sixth-year senior ahead Kate Martin has thrown Clark essentially the most assists. Fifth-year guard Gabbie Marshall has performed 4 seasons with Clark and has discovered her backcourt mate open for pictures the second-most.
Clark may make the most of a COVID-19 eligibility rule and return to school for a fifth season. If she does, she would create much more distance from Plum and the remainder of her friends, doubtlessly creating an insurmountable margin for future generations to catch. Seven years glided by between Clark and Plum setting the file, but when Clark goes professional, it won’t take that lengthy for a brand new customary. USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins is averaging 27.7 factors per recreation — up from Clark’s 26.6 freshman common. Might one other file chase be on the horizon?
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; Knowledge visuals: Drew Jordan / The Athletic; Photographs of Caitlin Clark: Greg Fiume / Getty Photos)