Caitlin Clark adds to historic night, sets Iowa single-game points record vs. Michigan
Just over two minutes into Thursday’s game against Michigan, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. Her eighth point of the game sent her past Kelsey Plum to become the record holder with her 3,528th career point.
As if that wasn’t enough, Clark set another record in the final minutes of the game.
Clark made two free throws, then turned around and drained a three-pointer in the fourth quarter to put Iowa ahead 101-84 with 2:08 remaining. That gave her 49 points on the night – setting Iowa’s program record for points in a single game. It broke the previous record set by Megan Gustafson, who scored 48 points in 2018, and came just a week after Hannah Stuelke broke the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record with 47 points.
Clark checked out shortly after setting her second record of the night. That meant she ended the night with 49 points, five rebounds and 13 assists as she put her name into the history books multiple times.
To do it in front of the home fans made it even more special.
“All these great Hawkeye fans are here to help us celebrate this unbelievable event,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said after the game. “I’m so happy for Caitlin. Not only did she [go] over the top with the scoring record, she had 49 tonight. When you do it, you do it well, girl.”
After the final buzzer sounded, fans stayed in their seats for a postgame ceremony honoring Clark’s achievement. It was yet another sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and she made sure to enjoy every second of it.
“It’s pretty unreal,” Clark told Peacock’s Caroline Pineda after the game. “This crowd’s unreal. I’m just really grateful, honestly, to be able to be here and make so many of my dreams come true with so many amazing people that have supported me – whether it’s my coaches, my teammates, my family. I’m just filled with a lot of gratitude.”
After the game, Caitlin Clark took time to sign as many autographs as she could on the way to the locker room – as is customary following home games. It’s her way of giving back to the next generation of basketball fans and players.
But asked about her younger self, learning the game in West Des Moines, she had a message that also applies to those youth basketball players watching her Thursday night.
“Never stop dreaming because you can achieve way more than you ever thought,” Clark said. “I get to live that every single day.
“And I still keep dreaming, and I’m 22 years old. So never stop.”