Caitlin Clark and No. 6 Iowa traveled to face Minnesota in a Big Ten showdown Wednesday night, and earned a 108-60 blowout victory for the Hawkeyes. It was another record-setting night for Clark. And it wasn’t just about her padding her points total, but rather how she did it. (See: A LOT of 3s.)
Clark, who now holds the NCAA Division I women’s basketball all-time scoring record, came into Wednesday needing just 51 points to pass Pete Maravich. Who is Pistol Pete, you ask?
Maravich played for LSU from 1967-70, scoring 3,667 points in just three years. He did so at a time when freshmen could not play varsity basketball, there was no shot clock and no 3-point line.
Clark, who is nicknamed “Ponytail Pete,” has one regular-season game remaining and needs just 18 points to top Maravich. The Hawkeyes will face No. 2 Ohio State in Iowa City on Sunday afternoon. While that is senior day, Clark has not said whether she will return for a possible fifth year – which she is eligible for because of the COVID season.
Tickets for that game are averaging more than $500.
OPINION:Caitlin Clark and her achievements stand on their own. Stop comparing her to Pistol Pete
Final: Iowa 108, Minnesota 60
Given how hot she started, we probably should have seen this coming: Caitlin Clark notched her 17th career triple-double in Iowa’s 108-60 win, tallying 33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
It was merely one of a handful of records that Clark tallied Wednesday night in Iowa’s blowout win. Clark has officially scored more points that Lynette Woodard now, and hit more 3s in a single season than any other player.
Speaking of 3s, Iowa made a season-high 21 against Minnesota. Clark went 8-of-14 from long distance, but she was far from the only one feeling it. Gabbie Marshall (16 points, four 3s), Taylor McCabe (15 points, five 3s), Kylie Feuerbach (13 points, four 3s) and Molly Davis (11 points, one 3) all scored in double figures as well.
Iowa vs. Minnesota highlights: Caitlin Clark breaks Lynette Woodard record, closes in on Pistol Pete
Caitlin Clark passes Lynette Woodard
As Caitlin Clark has climbed up the scoring ladder this season, some have pointed out that while her scoring output is impressive, it doesn’t match former Kansas standout Lynette Woodard.
Now, it does. In fact, it passes it.
With a 3 with 4:29 to play, Clark surpassed the longtime scoring leader in major college women’s basketball, which Woodard set from 1978-81. That was before the NCAA ran women’s sports, so Woodard’s record has been confined to the AIAW record books. She’s said that the NCAA needs to recognize and incorporate scoring records from the AIAW days, especially because they already do exactly that with coaching records.
For many, Clark passing Woodard will legitimize Clark and all she’s done.
End of 3Q: Iowa 86, Minnesota 48
Iowa continues its absurd shooting from 3, hitting 16 with 10 minutes still to play. At this point I’m just waiting for post Hannah Stuelke to take an attempt from deep.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark has notched her second consecutive triple-double, and the 17th of her career. Through three quarters she has 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. She’s also an efficient 11-of-17 from the field, including 7-of-11 from 3.
Iowa is dominating in every facet of the game, from points in the paint (36-16) to bench points (28-9) to fast break points (30-1).
And we’ve still got a whole other quarter to go. This is not an ideal senior night for Minnesota, that’s for sure.
Another (3-point) record for Caitlin Clark
Ho-hum, another day, another milestone for Caitlin Clark.
This time, with her seventh 3 of the night — with 7:16 left to in the third, no less — Clark has set an NCAA single-season record for made 3s, with 155. She surpasses former Idaho standout Taylor Pierce, who hit 154 treys in the 2018-19 season.
It’s worth pointing out that the career 3-point record belongs to Taylor Robertson, the sharpshooter who played at Oklahoma from 2018-2023. She had 537 in her career. Clark now has 502. Might she catch Robertson?
Halftime: Iowa 53, Minnesota 26
It seems inevitable that Caitlin Clark is going to set a new career-high for made 3s in a single game. Her high is nine, she’s already got six and we have 20 more minutes left to play. Goodness.
She leads all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting overall. In the first quarter, she scored or assisted on 21 of Iowa’s 30 points.
But Clark’s far from the only person connecting from deep: As a team Iowa’s already hit 12 (12!) 3s, and is shooting 57% from the arc. Not bad at all. The Hawkeyes are pouring it on from Kylie Feuerbach has three and Gabbie Marshall has two. (Marshall, by the way, has officially hit 1,000 career points.)
For good measure, Clark also has six assists, including this nifty bounce pass to Marshall in the lane:
End of 1Q: Iowa 30, Minnesota 16
One good way to build a 14-point lead over the first period is to reel off multiple 9-0 runs. The first one was all Caitlin Clark (unsurprising!) and the second involved a few Hawkeyes. And that’s how Iowa has a 30-16 lead.
That, and Clark already tallying 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Not too shabby, especially after a few rough games the last couple weeks where Clark didn’t shoot very well. She scored 35 on the Golden Gophers last time. Does she top that tonight?
As a team, Iowa is shooting 61% — that’s not how you pull an upset, Minnesota. And Clark isn’t the only one with a hot hand: Kylie Feuerbach is also 2-of-3 from long-distance.
Iowa also leads in fast break points, 10-0. Right now, the Hawkeyes are scoring from anywhere they want.
7:05, 1Q: Iowa 12, Minnesota 2
Nothing like a little 9-0 run from the reigning national player of the year to open the game.
Caitlin Clark reeled off nine straight points — including a logo 3, of course — before Minnesota finally got on the board. Then Clark responded by … hitting another 3.
She’s 51 away from the record and logic would say she’ll break it Sunday on senior day when Iowa hosts Ohio State. But maybe Clark has other plans, given that she already has 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting. She’s also grabbed three rebounds already.
Seems like it’s gonna be a long night for the Golden Gophers.
