During what was a historic March Madness run, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark broke records during the fight for the Women’s NCAA Championship title.
Despite Iowa falling 102-85 to LSU, Clark surpassed many expectations.
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Setting New Records
During the tournament, Clark secured 191 points.
This new record took over the previous which belonged to Texas Tech’s Sheryl Swoopes 177 points back in 1993. And for the men’s record, the men’s tournament, it belonged to Michigan’s Glen Rice, who scored 184 points that carried them to their only national championship in 1989.
She even dropped 41 points in back-to-back games. With this, Clark became the first player to ever score 40 points consecutively in women’s tournament history.
In addition, Clark’s phenomenal scoring run also surpassed that of the men’s single tournament tally. Her historic performances have been and will continue to be one to remember for years to come.
"I want my legacy to be the impact that I have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa.
I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season."
-Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/LfmnVamTXC
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023
Past and Present
During Clark’s high school years, she had never won a championship. But, by the time she touched down in Iowa City, she almost immediately stood out from the rest of the Big Ten. Clark eventually led Iowa to conference titles and regular-season titles just as a sophomore.
This season, the Hawkeyes played with tenacity and aggression to push themselves far. During the Elite Eight, Clark had a massive performance, accomplishing 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.
Following that momentous game, Clark carried the Hawkeyes to another victory, taking down undefeated and reigning national champions, South Carolina. Clark’s 41 points accounted for more than half of the final score which was 77-73.
In the final game, Clark finished with a game-high of 30 points.
The Future of Clark
Because Clark is still 21 years old and just a junior, she won’t be eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2024.
First 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history.
Most points ever in a single NCAA Tournament.
Knocked off No. 1 overall seed South Carolina.
Led Iowa to first-ever WBB National Championship Game.
31.8 PPG | 10 APG
Thank you, Caitlin Clark.
Sincerely,
Sports Fans pic.twitter.com/MnZu9KeKrV— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023