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Caitlin Clark's college basketball career ends; here's what she accomplished – IndyStar
College basketball scoring record holder Caitlin Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 national championship game, where they lost to undefeated South Carolina. Iowa also lost the 2023 national title game, to LSU.
The 22-year-old senior and national player of the year led all players in scoring (32.0) and assists (9.0) this season and is the almost certain No. 1 WNBA Draft pick to the Indiana Fever.
Here’s what you should know about Caitlin Clark.
Insider:Clark can be one of the greatest players, even without a title
‘She is so fun to watch’:Fever fans are ready for Caitlin Clark after college career ends
Where Caitlin Clark ranks in NCAA women’s basketball Div. I history through April 7, 2024
Clark owns the NCAA Div. I record with 1,144 assists, passing Courtney Vandersloot (1,118 from 2008-11 at Gonzaga) during a regional semifinal March 30 against Colorado. Sabrina Ionescu had 1,091 from 2017-20 at Oregon.
The Iowa senior’s 18th point on Sunday, March 3, 2024, gave her 3,668, more than the men’s record of 3,667 set by LSU’s Pete Maravich from 1968-70. She got it with a free throw in the final second of the first half.
Clark had 35 points in Iowa’s 93-83 win over Ohio State, giving her 3,685 career points.
Clark, who on Feb. 29 announced her intention to forgo another college season and enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, had previously passed Kelsey Plum in NCAA women’s scoring and Lynette Woodard in women’s college basketball scoring.
Caitlin Clark has broken the NCAA Div. I women’s basketball all-time scoring record.
She needed 8 points to break Plum’s career record Feb. 15, 2024, against Michigan, and did so in the first 2:15 with a layup on the game’s first play, followed by a pair of 3-pointers.
Here’s the record-breaker, from deep.
Clark wasted little time creating distance on Plum, scoring 23 first-quarter points on the way to an Iowa single-game record 49 in a 106-89 win.
On Feb. 28, Clark eclipsed Woodard, who scored 3,649 career points at Kansas from 1977-81, when women didn’t play in the NCAA but in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
Clark has given women’s basketball a boost with her outside shooting ability that has lifted the Iowa Hawkeyes into national title contention.
Iowa made the 2023 national championship game and Clark has continued her stellar play this season, leading the nation in scoring average (31.8) and assists (8.9).
Clark was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2023, averaging 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. She also was a second-team All-American as a freshman and first-time All-American as a sophomore.
Clark announced Feb. 29 that she would forgo a potential COVID college season and enter the April 15 WNBA Draft. The Indiana Fever own the No. 1 pick.
Doyel from Feb. 7:Why can’t some of women’s basketball’s biggest names enjoy Clark?
From Jan. 2:Aliyah Boston on Caitlin Clark, WNBA draft: ‘She’s going to do what’s best for her.’
No. 1 again:Indiana Fever wins WNBA draft lottery, possible chance to pick Caitlin Clark
Gregg Doyel’s view:Caitlin Clark to Indiana Fever would change this city, that franchise
It’s believed to be several hundred thousand dollars. Clark has national ads with State Farm insurance, including one with Pacers legend Reggie Miller.
She also signed up with Gatorade.
That’s right. There was a butter sculpture of Clark at the 2023 Iowa State Fair. (In Iowa, that’s a huge deal.) She also served as grand marshal for an IndyCar Series race in Iowa and took part in the pro-am portion of PGA Tour‘s John Deere Classic.
She took over the number of former Hawkeyes star Kathleen Doyle, a 2020 Indiana Fever draft pick.
“I didn’t get to wear (22) in high school because Dowling always wore odd numbers,” Clark said. “My birthday is January 22, so 22 is my number.”
Clark registered a triple-double on Oct. 15, 2023, in an exhibition game against DePaul played at Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, where the Hawkeyes play football. More than 55,000 fans showed up, believed to be the most ever for a women’s basketball game.
She is listed at 6 feet.
She turned 22 on Jan. 22, 2024.
She is from West Des Moines, Iowa, and attended Dowling Catholic High School. She was the state Player of the Year twice (2019, ’20) and was a 2020 McDonald’s All American.
Caitlin Clark has dated former Iowa men’s basketball player Connor McCaffery, the son of Hawkeyes men’s coach Fran McCaffery. Connor McCaffery is an Indiana Pacers employee.
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Host Ohio State beat Iowa on Jan. 21, and as fans stormed the court, Clark and a Buckeyes fan collided. Both people went down, and Clark appeared hurt for a time. A few minutes later, she said she was OK, and that she had the wind knocked out of her.
Tickets on the secondary market, travel costs, merch. Here’s what people spend to show their Caitlin Clark fandom.
