Caitlin Clark scored 35 points against Iowa's in-state rivals to become the 15th woman in Division I history to tally 3000 career points. Clark entered the night 22 points shy of the 3000-point mark. However, she nearly doubled that mark as she helped the Hawkeyes avenge their 2021 road loss to Iowa State. Furthermore, Clark became the first player, regardless of gender, in Division I history to record 3000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists.
"It's special to be able to do it here. I have a lot of family in attendance. But it was kind of the same as when I broke the [Hawkeyes] scoring record. We keep playing. We don't celebrate in the timeout. That's not what it's about. As long as we win -- I probably wouldn't be happy scoring 3,000 points in a loss," Clark said of the occasion. With more than two-thirds of the season left, Clark is well on her way to set a new NCAA-era (1981-present) record. The current benchmark is held by Kelsey Plum, who scored 3527 points at Washington between 2013 and 2017.
Clark & Hawkeyes Improve To 9-1
With the win over Iowa State, Clark and the Hawkeyes improved to 9-1, with a shock loss to then-unranked Kansas State the only blemish on their record. Their run has included wins over two ranked teams - then-No. 8 Virginia Tech and then-No. 16 Kansas State in a Thanksgiving Week tournament rematch. Their next matchup sees them play their first Big 10 game of the season, taking on 5-3 Wisconsin. However, Iowa is unlikely to face another ranked opponent until January 13, when they are scheduled to face Indiana. The Hoosiers are 7-1 and were ranked at No. 16 in the latest AP Poll.
As for Clark, she is already putting up a monumental stat line. She is averaging 29.6/6.7/7.6 a night. That puts her first in scoring and fourth in assists in the nation. Furthermore, she is just one of two players currently averaging over 25 points a game. The other is USC freshman Juju Watkins, who is scoring 27.3 a game. Meanwhile, the players out-assisting Clark are McKenna Hofschild (Colorado State), Georgia Amoore (Virginia Tech), and Ines Vieira (Utah).
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