WNBA star Kelsey Plum had something of a social media gaffe when she congratulated Caitlin Clark for breaking her collegiate scoring record before Clark had actually set the record. "@CaitlinClark22 Congratulations on the record, and really your entire season! I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love! See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later 😜🤞🏼," Plum wrote on social media. Clark fell eight points short of the record despite opening Iowa's game against Nebraska with 31 points through three quarters. However, Clark scored no points in the fourth as Iowa fell apart and allowed Nebraska to steal a shock victory against the Big Ten frontrunners. Plum later acknowledged her mistake, tweeting out "My bad, next game".
However, this means that Clark will now likely set the record in front of a home crowd against Michigan on Thursday. Furthermore, Clark is now just 148 points shy of breaking the all-time NCAA record set by Pete Maravich at LSU in the late 1960s. With five games left in the Big Ten regular season, Clark's 32.1 points a game could mean she breaks Maravich's record in the season finale against Ohio State.
Caitlin Clark Still Coy About Draft Declaration
However, despite her historic season, no one is quite sure if Clark will be headed to the WNBA Draft this year. Clark is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft and would join former South Carolina standout Aliyah Boston in Indiana if chosen. However, before the season, Clark revealed that her mind wasn't fully made up yet. "I'm going to know when I need to know. I think it's very similar to my college decision. It's like I'm in the recruiting process again. It's really not something I think about every day or let weigh on me. I'm focused on helping this team be the best they can be. The biggest thing is I'm just going to trust my gut. I'm not going to do a lot of research on what's better. I'm going to trust my gut and go with that," Clark said.
Clark, who turns 22 in February 2024, is part of the final class of players who can declare for a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been one of the best, if not the best, players in women's college basketball during her time at Iowa. She won National Player of the Year last year and was second in scoring average as well as first in assists and made threes. Players have until 48 hours after their final game of the season to declare for the draft.
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