IOWA CITY — Just over two minutes into the game, Caitlin Clark rose to shoot from the left wing well behind the three-point line. Itâs a scene that has played out countless times over the past four seasons in Iowa City and all throughout the country.
This shot was different from the rest. This shot would live on forever. In highlight reels. In record books. And in the memories of the 15,000+ people in attendance.
Clarkâs three moved her past Kelsey Plum as NCAA womenâs basketballâs all-time leading scorer. But she wasn’t done breaking records. Clark’s big night continued and she ended up scoring 49 points to break Megan Gustafson’s program record for most points in a game. Clark also broke Hannah Stuelke’s mark for most points scored in a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena set just one week ago. For good measure, Clark added 13 assists and five rebounds.
Clark’s big performance propelled Iowa to a 106-89 victory over Michigan on a night Iowa fans will remember forever.
“You all knew I was going to shoot a logo three for the record,” Clark said with a smile after the game.
Clark came into the game needing seven points to tie Plumâs record and eight points to surpass it. If she could score five early points, she’d have an opportunity to break Plum’s mark with one of her signature shots. Sometimes fate plays out exactly like you hope.
Clark made her first shot just nine seconds into the game on a layup. She followed that with a three 30 seconds later.
Because no one is perfect, Clark was quiet on Iowaâs next two possessions: “I thought about doing it a couple possessions earlier, but I was tired. I needed to catch my breath a bit,” said Clark.
Clark had caught her breath by the time Gabbie Marshall tracked down a rebound just over two minutes into the game. Marshall found Clark in the perfect position to push in transition. From there, history awaited:
But Clark wasnât done. Far from it. After a brief pause to recognize Clarkâs achievement, the game got going again and so did Clark.
“During warmups my shot felt pretty good,” Clark said. “Usually as a shooter you know. The ball just comes off your hand some nights better than others.”
Clark hit seven other shotsâincluding four more three-pointers â in a remarkable first quarter that saw her score 23 points and dish four assists.
Clark wasn’t done after the first quarter, either. Just last week, she saw Hannah Stuelke set a Carver record for points in a game. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer couldn’t let that stand.
“She asked why I had to do that,” Clark said of Stuelke’s reaction to her record being broken. Then Stuelke turned it into a joke, as Clark noted that Stuelke said “she said she passed the torch to me.”
Clark’s late three did more than surpass Stuelke. It also lifted her above Megan Gustafson’s prior program record of 48 points in a game.
Clark has occasionally been chided for the volume of shots that she takes, but tonight no one could question her. Clark shot 16-of-31 from the floor and went 9-of-18 from 3-point range. She also added 13 assists because breaking three different scoring records in the same game just wasn’t enough.
“I don’t know if you could script it any better.” Clark said.
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Clark’s record and her masterful performance will occupy every headline, but this was also a big game for Iowa as a team. The Hawks sit one game behind Ohio State in the loss column in the Big Ten standings. The only team to defeat the Buckeyes in Big Ten play so far this season is Michigan. If Iowa didnât play at its best, this was absolutely a game that could have ended in an upset. One more loss would have almost certainly ended Iowaâs Big Ten championship aspirations.
Offensively, at least, the Hawkeyes were at their best in this game. Kate Martin was consistent as ever, scoring 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a red hot 4-of-5 effort from 3-point range. Stuelke scored 13 points on just six shots. Gabbie Marshall even broke out of her recent shooting slump, hitting a couple big threes.
As a team, Iowa shot 53% from the floor and a sizzling 51% from 3-point range, making a stunning 18 triples on the night. Iowa also had 25 assists on 34 made field goals, turned 14 Michigan turnovers into 26 points, and out-scored the Wolverines 25-7 in fast break points. This game was an example of the Iowa offense at its best.
READ MORE: Social Media Reacts to Caitlin Clark Breaking the NCAA WBB Scoring Record
After the game, Coach Lisa Bluder took time to praise how Michigan handled the moment.
“They gave Caitlin a gift after the game and every one of (their) players wrote her a note,” Bluder said in her press conference. “I am so glad that we have people in the Big Ten that understand the importance of this and the importance for women’s basketball… that was a really classy way for them to handle this. I appreciate Kim and what she did.”
“There was like no one here,” Clark said of her first college game in Carver Hawkeye Arena against Northern Iowa. That’s not technically true, of course. The official attendance was 365. But compared to the capacity crowd of tonight, it might as well have been no one.
We will never know how many people might’ve attended Clark’s debut had it not been for the COVID restrictions in place at the time. We can say with certainty, though, that it wouldn’t have been close to a sellout.
Iowaâs 2019 season opener against Florida Atlantic had an official attendance of 3,334. For the 2021 season opener against New Hampshire in Clarkâs sophomore season, the attendance was 6,789.
Tonight, every seat in Carver was taken, and ticket prices on the secondary market reached insane levels:
In less than four years, #22 has transformed womenâs basketball. Tonightâs game was more than a record or a moment. It was a celebration of four years that have helped change womenâs basketball forever.
“There’s no way I could imagine this,” Bluder said when asked what her childhood self would say of tonight. “There’s just no way you can even fathom this as a little kid growing up pre-Title IX.”
Given Clark’s talent and charisma, it’s fair to say that she isn’t done growing the game just yet, either.
The first month of the Iowa high school wrestling season has been filled with scintillating individual performances. Here’s a look at seven standouts who have been racking up bonus points in December.
Drew Anderson (Riverside)
The Class 1A state runner-up last year at 132 is up to 144 this season and he’s 14-0 with 11 technical falls, a pair of pins and a forfeit win. Anderson, a junior in his second season at the school, already owns the Riverside school record for technical falls with 28. Anderson is on pace to more than double the previous Riverside tech record of 23.
Urijah Courter (West Marshall)
Courter won the 2A title last season at 113 after placing third as a freshman at 106. He’s up to 120 this season. Courter is 14-0 this season with 10 pins and two technical falls. His ledger also includes a 6-5 win against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Simon Bettis in a rematch of last season’s state title bout.
Cooper Hinz (Jesup)
Entering the holiday break, Michigan commit and two-time state medalist Cooper Hinz is 22-0 with 21 wins via pin, technical fall or forfeit. His other victory was a 4-1 overtime decision against returning state placewinner Cain Rodgers of North Fayette Valley. More impressively, all of Hinz’s pins and technical falls have all come in the first period.
Lincoln Jipp (Bettendorf)
Jipp placed fifth at 138, third at 165 and second at 175 in Class 3A during his first three seasons. Now he’s up to 215 — 77 pounds more than where he started his career as a freshman. The North Carolina recruit pinned his way through the prestigious Dan Gable Donnybrook. He’s 16-0 with 10 pins, four technical falls and a forfeit.
Mason Koehler (Glenwood)
The returning 2A champ at 215 is 20-0 with 18 pins and a major decision. His only two matches that went the distance came at the Council Bluffs Classic, where he defeated Nebraska standout Ryan Boehle of Grand Island 14-4 and Minnesota hammer Joe Kruse of Totino-Grace 9-2. The rest of Koehler’s matches this season ended in first-period pins. He has already registered a six-second pin and another in nine seconds this season.
Jaxon Miller (Carlisle)
Miller is a three-time state medalist, a two-time finalist and returning state champ in Class 3A. He placed fourth as a freshman at 145 before making trips to the finals at 157 and 165. He’s 16-0 this season with 13 first-period pins, two technical falls and a forfeit.
Keaton Moeller (Starmont)
Moeller placed third in 1A as a freshman at 145 before winning a state title at 150 as a sophomore. He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in football. Now he’s back as a senior at 190 and Moeller hasn’t missed a beat. He’s 13-0 with five pins, six technical falls and a pair of forfeits. He has yet to wrestle a full period this season.
Check out the Iowa High School Wrestling Premium Rankings, which are generated by using an athlete’s complete match history to predict a wrestler’s performance against others in their weight class by considering factors such as win-loss records, the quality of their victories (pins, technical falls, major decisions), the strength of their opponents and overall historical performance patterns. The data is updated every Monday, sourced from the Trackwrestling season results. Since each team is responsible for maintaining their season results, any data discrepancies for a wrestler should be addressed by contacting their coach to manage the information within the season. This includes the weight class assigned. Wrestlers are eligible to be ranked after competing in five matches at a single weight.
As No. 14-ranked Iowa women’s basketball (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) returns from the Christmas break, the Hawkeyes will begin the bulk of their Big Ten slate today as they welcome Penn State (7-5, 0-1 Big Ten) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa looks to rebound from its 90-64 loss against No. 1 UConn on Dec. 20, where its sloppy play (26 turnovers leading to 41 UConn points) ultimately proved to be its undoing against the Huskies.
Entering today’s game, sophomore center Ava Heiden leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game on 64.4% shooting from the floor, with senior forward Hannah Stuelke (13.4) and sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright (11.7) also averaging double-figure scoring.
Defensively, Wright leads the team in steals per game with 1.6, while Heiden tops the squad in blocks with 1.2 denials per contest.
As tipoff nears between the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions, follow along for live updates, the latest score, and highlights of the action:
Hawkeyes are on fire offensively through the first quarter of play (shooting 10-for-16 from the floor), while also dominating the defensive glass (leading 7-2 in defensive rebounds) and keeping Penn State off-synch.
Chit-Chat Wright leads everyone with 12 points on 4-for-4 from the floor, 2-for-2 from 3-point territory, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Timeout Penn State.
Hawkeyes are on a roll offensively since the Nittany Lions’ appeal, with a 14-0 scoring run that forces a Penn State timeout.
Penn State’s appeal was successful on the foul call, but the shot clock violation on the Nittany Lions still stands.
Nittany Lions retain their timeout.
Timeout Penn State.
The Nittany Lions are appealing the foul call on Gracie Merkle and the ensuing shot clock violation.
Both teams are shooting well to start the game.
On its game day availability report, sophomore Emely Rodriguez remains out. Graduate starting guard Kylie Feuerbach is also “questionable.”
Watch Iowa vs. Penn State
TV: Big Ten Network
Tip-off Time: 3 p.m. CT
All times CT
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Records have fallen, stars have shined and there has also been plenty of heartbreak, heartache and sadness along the way.
Here is a look at some of the top sports stories that made headlines throughout 2025 in Iowa high school athletics.
The Rams swept both the state wrestling duals and traditional team titles in Class 3A this past winter, scoring a state tournament record 259.5 points. They clinched the traditional crown before the final day when Cooper Martinson, Justis Jesuroga, Nico DeSalvo and Eddie Woody all won individual championships.
Down in Class 1A, Don Bosco remained the premier program in the state, winning a seventh consecutive state championship. The Dons, who have claimed 17 titles all-time, also won state duals. Hayden Schwab, Hendrix Schwab, Kaiden Belinsky and Dawson Youngblut were all individual champs.
By winning a third state wrestling championship each last year, Fort Dodge’s Dreshaun Ross and Blake Fox from Osage moved closer to joining the exclusive four-timers club. Ross and Fox will both be going for a fourth individual state wrestling championship this winter.
The Johnston girls basketball team ended last year with a second consecutive Class 5A state championship, besting Dowling Catholic in the finals. The Dragons came into this season having won 52 consecutive games, as Notre Dame commit Jenica Lewis now leads them. In the finals last year, Kelli Kalb scored 13 points and Amani Jenkins grabbed 18 rebounds.
A loaded Valley boys basketball team captured its third consecutive Class 4A state championship this past winter, besting Waukee Northwest in the finals, 61-47. They became just the second 4A team to win three consecutive titles, as Jayden McGregory scored 26, Zay Robinson 15 and Trevin Jirak had 13 with 10 rebounds. McGregory is now headed to Missouri to play football, Robinson entered the transfer portal after playing one season of football at Iowa State and Jirak is at Iowa playing basketball.
Western Dubuque runner and future Oregon Duck Quentin Nauman has been virtually untouchable when it comes to distance running. Back in the spring, Nauman completed the distance triple crown at the Drake Relays, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. He again did the same at state, setting multiple records in the process. In the fall, Nauman won another state cross country title, again setting a meet record.
Ranked as one of the best players in the country for her grade, Sophia Schlader showed why to the rest of Iowa by leading Waukee Northwest to the Class 5A state softball title this past summer. Schlader and the Wolves bested Linn-Mar in the finals, 1-0 in eight innings. The freshman struck out 15 batters, tying her own 5A state mark, as she finished the week with 35 strikeouts. Her 15th K of the finals came with the bases loaded and two outs.
In the span of 24 hours, Pella won the first state baseball championship in program history and first state softball title in school history. The Dutch baseball team did it first, besting Dubuque Wahlert in the Class 3A finals, 3-1, on a game-winning hit by Landyn Bethards. Teagan Hoekstra pitched a complete game, striking out seven. The No. 8 seed in softball, Pella took out No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier in the quarterfinals and North Polk in the finals for head coach Katie Banowetz, who was to be married one day later.
Pella’s Marissa Ferebee cemented her own place in the history books, winning a third consecutive Class 3A state cross country championship this past fall. The future Arkansas Razorback also was a state champion in track and field in the spring in the 3,000-meter run. She helped the Dutch earn a fourth consecutive team state cross country title, as well.
The Iowa high school football season was hit hard by a number of forfeits, as teams cited too few of healthy players to compete on the gridiron. One of those was defending eight-player state champion Remsen St. Mary’s, as the Hawks called a game at halftime and sat on the sidelines for multiple weeks to get enough healthy and experienced players ready to continue. Others called the season off entirely or did not even field a varsity team this past fall.
For the first time since the classification was created, someone other than Southeast Polk won the Class 5A title. That somebody? Ten-time state champion Dowling Catholic, as Ian Middleton led the Maroons past Iowa City Liberty, 27-10. Middleton ran for 206 yards and scored two touchdowns on 34 carries in the finals.
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