Uncommon Knowledge
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A record-breaking night years in the making took less than three minutes to reach its defining moment. Caitlin Clark made sure of that.
The Iowa women’s basketball star pulled up from the Tigerhawk logo inside a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Michigan on February 15 and fired a 35-footer in transition that found the bottom of the net—and cemented No. 22 as No. 1. Clark’s first-quarter heave pushed the sharpshooter past Kelsey Plum’s 3,527-point mark and into position as the all-time leading scorer in Division I NCAA women’s basketball history.
“I don’t know if you could script it any better,” the senior said of her record postgame. “Just to do it in this fashion, I’m very grateful and thankful to be surrounded by so many people who have been my foundation in everything I’ve done since I was a young little girl. You all knew I was going to shoot the logo 3 for the record.”
Time will tell if Clark passes another batch of upcoming milestones in such fitting fashion.
The reigning Naismith Player of the Year’s NCAA scoring pursuit—recognized by the Big Ten with a celebratory video featuring messages from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, among others—is over. But a quest for more scoring greatness is ongoing.
Clark scored a school-record 49 points in a blowout win over Michigan, then most recently followed that up with 24 more in No. 4 Iowa’s 86-69 road loss to No. 14 Indiana on Thursday, giving the West Des Moines product 3,593 points (and counting) over her four-year collegiate career. The 22-year-old returns to Carver on Sunday for Iowa’s (23-4 record) home matchup with Illinois (13-12) as March Madness, and additional scoring achievements, approach on the calendar.
In the aftermath of passing Plum, here are the other scoring breakthroughs Clark is nearing.
Clark stands alone atop the NCAA’s all-time women’s points leaderboard, though there are some scoring legacies the guard is still chasing.
Lynette Woodard, who played at Kansas, holds the major women’s college basketball scoring record with 3,649 points scored from 1977-81. At that time, women’s hoops were governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, meaning the NCAA does not recognize those statistics in its official record-keeping. Woodard released a statement when Clark passed the official NCAA tally, a moment that the Hall of Famer hoped would serve as an opportunity to appreciate greatness from basketball’s past.
“Back then, collegiate women’s players used a larger basketball, and we did not have a 3-point line,” a portion of Woodard’s statement said. “In honoring Caitlin’s accomplishments, I hope that we can also shine a light on the pioneers who paved the way before her. Women’s basketball has a glorious history that predates the NCAA’s involvement. I applaud Caitlin for everything she has done and look forward to watching her score many more points for years to come.”
Another of those basketball trailblazers Woodard alluded to is Pearl Moore.
The former Francis Marion standout, whom Clark is also catching up to scoring-wise, owns the overall women’s points record with 4,061 points from 1975-79 at the small-level college, according to the Associated Press. Moore’s college contributions aren’t as widely known since the eventual Hall of Famer did not play at the Division I level, but her point tally still stands as the standard in women’s college basketball. At least for now.
“Records were made to be broken,” Moore said in a recent interview, via National Public
Radio (NPR). “…I finished college at 22 and I’m 66 now, so that record [is] like 40 years [old], so records are made to be broken and if she does it, good for her.”
Another player to keep in mind on Clark scoring watch is Pete Maravich. “Pistol Pete” is the men’s NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader with 3,667 points (an astounding 44.2 per game) totaled from 1967-70, when there was no 3-point line (just as there wasn’t for Woodard or Moore) and freshmen weren’t permitted to play on varsity teams.
A giddy collection of Iowa fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena took a collective breath when Clark threw up her record-breaking 3-pointer, then let out a spirited roar once the swish confirmed scoring greatness. The Hawkeye faithful will have plenty of similar moments to cheer on soon enough—whether they come in Iowa City or elsewhere.
Clark enters Sunday 57 points away from passing Woodard on the scoring list and 75 from jumping Maravich as the highest-scoring basketball player in Division I NCAA basketball history—men’s or women’s.
The All-American, who over the last 25 seasons has recorded more 30-plus point games than any player in men’s or women’s college basketball (53), leads the nation with a 32.4-point scoring average this season. Sticking to that total, and Clark is on track to take Woodard’s title as the highest-scoring player in major women’s college basketball history during Iowa’s February 28 game at Minnesota. And at that same pace, the State Farm and Gatorade partner would move by Maravich in Iowa’s regular-season finale against No. 2 Ohio State in Iowa City on March 3—perhaps with another logo 3.
Clark, also No. 5 on the NCAA’s all-time assists list, would likely need to return for a fifth season (which she can do with an extra year of eligibility granted because of COVID-19 circumstances) to reach Moore’s total. The Iowa phenom is currently 468 points behind that mark. Even with a deep tournament run and Clark sticking to her regular scoring prowess, it would still take about 15 more games to tally that many points. The Hawkeyes have three regular-season games remaining, then a trip to the Big Ten Tournament—which Iowa has won two years in a row—and eventually the NCAA Tournament, where last season Clark led her team to the championship game.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Recent heavy rains in Iowa have led to record nitrate levels in the state’s major rivers, prompting concerns over water safety and environmental impacts.
Jared Strong reports for Iowa Capital Dispatch.
In short:
Key quote:
“This is one of the biggest nitrate leaching events in 11 years.”
— David Cwiertny, director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination at the University of Iowa
Why this matters:
High nitrate levels can lead to increased algae growth in rivers and lakes, reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life. These conditions can also pose a threat to public health, as they compromise the safety of drinking water sources, particularly in heavily impacted areas like Des Moines.
Related EHN coverage:
Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement on Monday as former Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark nears her pro debut with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.
Bluder’s longtime assistant Jan Jensen was named her successor.
“There is no denying that this past season was incredible for so many reasons, and we could not have accomplished our achievements without all of you,” Bluder said in an open letter to fans. “After the season ended, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches reviewing the season and preparing those moving on for what comes next.
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“With that also came personal contemplation about what this journey has meant to me, how to best champion this program, and what the future looks like for my family and me. After then taking some time away with my husband, David, it became clear to me that I am ready to step aside.”
Bluder’s retirement came more than a month after Iowa dropped its second consecutive national championship — this time it was to South Carolina.
She spent 24 years leading the Hawkeyes after spending 10 years at Drake. Bluder was 716-359 in her career.
Clark, arguably the best player in Bluder’s tenure, congratulated her former coach.
CAITLIN CLARK RECALLS ‘FRUSTRATING’ MEDIA STORM OVER 2023 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS
“Simply no one better at building a team,” Clark wrote on X. “Thank you for believing in me more than anyone. Enjoy retirement, coach. Very much deserved.”
Jensen will take the reins starting in the 2024-25 season. She was an associate head coach under Bluder for 20 years. She was also with Bluder when they were at Drake.
She was an All-American at Drake and the highest-scoring player ever in six-on-six basketball at El Horn-Kimballton High School in Iowa.
“There is no better person to lead this program than Jan Jensen and I am thrilled she will have the opportunity to build on the foundation established,” Bluder said. “I’m committed to help her, and her staff, in whatever capacity they need moving forward.”
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Bluder helped Iowa to five Big Ten Tournament championships. She was the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and the 2019 Naismith College Coach of the Year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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(AP) – Lisa Bluder, who coached the Iowa women’s basketball team to the last two NCAA championship games, is retiring after 24 years leading the Hawkeyes.
Bluder made the announcement Monday, five weeks after Iowa lost to South Carolina in the national title game and superstar Caitlin Clark ended her college career.
“There is no denying that this past season was incredible for so many reasons, and we could not have accomplished our achievements without all of you,” she said. “After the season ended, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches reviewing the season and preparing those moving on for what comes next.
“With that also came personal contemplation about what this journey has meant to me, how to best champion this program, and what the future looks like for my family and me. After then taking some time away with my husband, David, it became clear to me that I am ready to step aside.”
Bluder was 528-254 at Iowa, including 65-12 the past two years with Clark leading the way, and 716-359 including her 10 seasons at Drake.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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