Iowa Basketball Star Caitlin Clark Breaks NCAA Division I Scoring Record

Caitlin Clark stood alone at the free throw line on Sunday and made the foul shots that left her standing alone atop the all-time NCAA Division I scoring chart.

The flash and pizzazz of her game have made her the biggest name in all of college basketball. Yet it was two free throws after a technical foul that pushed Clark past the late Pete Maravichs 54-year-old record in No. 6 Iowas 93-83 win over No. 2 Ohio State .

Clark entered the game in Iowa City needing 18 points to pass Maravichs total of 3,667, amassed in just 83 games over three seasons at LSU (1967-70). She finished with 35 to run her total to 3,685 in 130 games.

Maravichs mark fell four days after Clark broke Lynette Woodards major college womens record  with 33 points against Minnesota on Wednesday.

Best known for her long 3-pointers, Clark was called on to go to the foul line after Cotie McMahon was assessed a technical for giving her a little push during a dead ball with less than a second to go in the first half.

Clark had no immediate reaction after the second shot went through, as if it hadnt sunk in yet.

Asked in a television interview at halftime if she was aware of the record when she stepped to the line, Clark said: Not really. When they announced it and everybody screamed, thats when I knew.

Then the celebration was on, with Clark jumping around and pumping her fists in the air.

She had gotten off to a slow start Sunday. Her first shot was a 3-pointer that bounced off the rim. She missed a layup and from deep on the right wing before making a 3 from the left side for her first basket.

After starting 2 for 7, she made 3 of her next 4 shots including three straight 3s, each deeper than the previous.

Woodard was among the attendees at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to help Clark celebrate senior day. Also on hand were basketball great Maya Moore, who was Clarks favorite player, and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

Its a great time for womens basketball, Woodard said in a television interview. Caitlin is leading the way. As she was chipping away, I said records are made to be broken. Also, theyre made to be honored. Because of her, my records are being honored. Shes gone beyond that now, shes gone beyond Pete ... I passed her the baton to go ahead and burst through that ceiling, and Im so happy for her.

On Thursday, Clark announced she would enter the 2024 WNBA draft  and skip the fifth year of eligibility available to athletes who competed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever, and the WNBA already is seeing a rise in ticket sales.

Logitix, which researches prices on ticket resale platforms, reported an average sale price of $598 for a ticket to Sundays game purchased since Feb. 1.

Kiran Nanjappa, who was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and now lives in Denver, said he paid more than $200 for his ticket.

Shes a truly once-in-a-lifetime player, he said. Ive been watching Iowa basketball for 40 years, and Ive never seen a player like her, mens or womens. Ill just say this I paid more to see her today than I paid to see Michael Jordan three times at the end of his career. And I never thought Id say that.

Clark is all but assured of one or two more appearances at the arena in Iowa City. Iowa is projected to be a No. 2 seed  for the NCAA Tournament, meaning it would be at home for the first two rounds.

Pearl Moore of Francis Marion  owns the overall womens record with 4,061 points from 1975-79 at the small-college level in the AIAW. Moore had 177 points at Anderson Junior College before enrolling at Francis Marion.

Clark is 376 points behind Moore, and she has only two to nine more games left in an Iowa uniform depending on how far the Hawkeyes advance in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.

The fall of Maravichs record is subject to scrutiny .

Maravichs all-time scoring mark is one of the more remarkable in sports history. There was no shot clock or 3-point line in his era. The 3-point line was adopted in 1986.

Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game. He scored more than 60 in a game four times, topping out at 69 against Alabama on Feb. 7, 1970.

Clark averages 28.3 points for her career. Her career-best output was 49 points against Michigan on Feb. 15, when she passed Kelsey Plum as the NCAA womens Division I career scoring leader.

Clark has 55 games with at least 30 points, the most of any player in mens or womens college basketball over the last 25 years. She has six triple-doubles this season and 17 in her career.

What Caitlins done has been amazing. Shes fantastic player, great for the womens game and basketball in general, Maravichs eldest son, Jaeson, told The Associated Press last week.

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