Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA all-time scoring record

(IOWA CITY, Iowa) — University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark has reached another milestone in her college career, breaking the NCAA all-time scoring record, a record untouched for more than 50 years — until now.

Clark broke the all-time scoring record Sunday against Ohio State, hitting 18 points in the game with a technical free throw at the end of the second quarter.

The 22-year-old now holds 3,668 points and counting, surpassing “Pistol” Pete Maravich, who scored 3,667 points while playing at Louisiana State University in 1970.

Clark broke the NCAA women’s record — which was previously held by former University of Washington star Kelsey Plum, who racked up 3,527 points — in her game against Michigan on Feb. 15.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James congratulated Clark on Sunday, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “CONGRATS @CaitlinClark22 on becoming the All-Time leading scorer!!” (James on Saturday broke his own record for most career points in NBA history, topping 40,000.)

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Before breaking the NCAA all-time women’s scoring record, Clark recorded 1,000 career assists in her game against the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on Feb. 11, becoming just the sixth player in NCAA women’s basketball history to do so.

Clark has so far secured brand endorsement deals — thanks to NIL, which allows college athletes to be paid for such endorsements — with Gatorade, Nike, State Farm and Buick, totaling nearly $800,000.

She celebrated her 22nd birthday this year by gifting her teammates new sneakers.

Despite being eligible to play for the Hawkeyes for another season due to the COVID-19 waiver her first year, Clark declared for the 2024 WNBA draft, announcing the news in a social media post on Thursday. She is projected to be the No. 1 draft pick by the Indiana Fever.

Clark was named co-freshman of the year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 2021, sharing the honor with UConn’s Paige Bueckers. She was also named AP player of the year in 2023 and has been awarded the Naismith Trophy, the AAU Sullivan Award and the Nancy Lieberman Award, among others, throughout her college basketball career.

A new era of women’s sports

The Iowa basketball player gained recognition last season with jaw-dropping three-pointers, many of which were shot nearly from half-court, landing Clark and the Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAA finals.

Although Iowa lost to Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers, the game’s ending was just the beginning. Clark’s and Reese’s competitive spirits and dominance on the court re-ignited women’s basketball.

The 2023 NCAA finals was the most-viewed NCAA women’s basketball game in history, with over 9 million viewers.

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Since then, game tickets have soared — some reaching as high as $5,000 — and fans are frequently lined up outside college gymnasiums to see the collegiate stars play.

The newfound interest has also reached the pros: The WNBA announced record-breaking viewership and attendance following the 2022-2023 season.

A talented group

While Clark has become a high-achieving basketball star at the collegiate level, she stands alongside a talented and well-decorated group of stars.

In February, Syracuse University guard Dyaisha Fair became the fifth all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball, surpassing former Baylor University star Brittney Griner.

On the West Coast, Juju Watkins, a freshman center at the University of Southern California, is breaking records, too.

In her freshman season, Watkins delivered 11 30-point games in a single season, a 35-year-old record set by another basketball legend and former Trojan, Cheryl Miller. Watkins also owned a 51-point career-high performance against Stanford this season.

Like Clark, an Iowa native, Watkins chose to stay in her home state and build from within.