Caitlin Clark breaks record for most points in a single NCAA Tournament
Caitlin Clark is a show all to herself. As team-focused as she is, there is no player that’s arguably more impactful as the Iowa Hawkeye’s superstar.
Now, her latest achievement proves that as much as any other. With 19 points so far in the national championship game, Clark passed the former record for points in an NCAA Tournament with 177. That put Clark past Sheryl Swoopes’ record from back in 1993 and has only added to her ever-growing legend with 180 points.
Clark then continued to add to it. Once she reached 25 points late in the third quarter, she then broke the overall record, men’s and women’s, for points in an NCAA Tournament run by passing Glen Rice at Michigan.
The three Clark hit to pass Rice broke more than one record actually. With it being her seventh three of the matchup, it broke the women’s national championship record for threes in a game.
Clark has already set several NCAA Tournament history marks with her run to Dallas with the Hawkeyes. She set the assist record for a tournament and has only added to it with 57 at this point of their matchup with the Tigers. She also has set and extended the record for three-point makes with 28.
None of her performances have been as special, though, as her outings in the Elite Eight and Final Four. Against Louisville in the regional final, she put up 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds to go with eight makes from three. Then, versus South Carolina in the national semifinal, she scored a Final Four record of yet another 41 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds en route to a win over the Gamecocks.
Again, few runs in NCAA Tournament history have been as good as Clark’s, regardless of men or women. Now, to add to it, she’ll have to stay hot in order to give Iowa a shot to beat the LSU inside the American Airlines Center this afternoon.
Lisa Bluder says Clark doesn’t have to do anything different against LSU
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder has been a witness to the excellence of Caitlin Clark all season long. Ahead of the biggest game of their year, Bluder said Clark doesn’t have to change anything about her game.
“She doesn’t have to be anything different on this stage then she’s been all year. She loves this stage and I know she’s gonna shine,” Bluder said ahead of the National Championship Game in Dallas. “I’d love to see some other people step up and do their jobs because they’re all just as good.”
Clark has been on a tear heading into the national championship game. She has scored over 40 points in both the Elite Eight and the Final Four.
The national player of the year is averaging 32.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.