Some records will likely never be broken, despite the fact that we say that they are made to be. Cal Ripken’s Ironman streak is safe. It is highly unlikely that any NBA team will win eight straight titles like the Boston Celtics did. Wayne Gretzky’s spot atop the NHL point leaders list is cemented.
Over the course of the past four years, Caitlin Clark etched her name onto the list of sports greats with dazzling performance after dazzling performance, breaking seemingly countless records along the way. The Iowa Hawkeye electrified audiences on a nightly basis, solidifying her spot among the greatest names in basketball history, male or female.
Freshman Season: 2020-2021
During her first year on campus, Clark made an immediate impact. In addition to collecting numerous individual accolades, Clark set the Hawkeyes record for points and assists by a freshman. In just her first season, Clark would not only break the Big Ten single-game record for three-pointers but also points. Clark’s 26.6ppg, 7.1apg, and 5.9rpg would lead the team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore Season: 2021-2022
Not only would Clark continue her torrid attack on the record books, but she also became the “first to do”. Although the Hawkeyes only reached the Second Round of March Madness, Clark would once again lead the team with 27ppg, 8apg, and 8rpg. Clark’s scoring and distribution numbers would make her the first female to lead NCAA Division I in both categories in the same season.
Once again, Clark would be on the receiving end of nearly every award possible and continue to set and break records. As the first back-to-back winner of the Dawn Staley Award, Clark also became the first female in the history of the Big Ten to have consecutive triple-double games and the fastest to reach 1,000 career points. On January 25, Clark set a Hawkeyes record with 18 assists in a victory over Penn State.
Junior Season: 2022-2023
The list of awards and accomplishments that Clark received and set during her third season with the Hawkeyes is more than most players achieve in a lifetime. Clark’s 27.8ppg, 8.6apg, and 7.1rpg once again paced the Hawkeyes scoring and set a Big Ten single-season record in points, assists, three-pointers, and free-throws. In addition to winning her third straight Dawn Staley Award, Clark also became the first unanimous National Player of the Year in Big Ten history.
During the Hawkeyes' March Madness run, Clark would drop back-to-back 41-point games, becoming the first player to accomplish such a feat in NCAA Tournament history. Over the course of their six games, Clark put herself on a pedestal by breaking the NCAA record for the most points scored and the most three-pointers made in a single tournament (men’s or women’s). In the Hawkeyes' 97-83 Elite Eight victory over Louisville, Clark became the first player to record a 40+ point triple-double, adding in 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Senior Season: 2023-2024
If you didn’t know who Caitlin Clark was by the end of her third season with the Hawkeyes, there was no way that by the end of her final collegiate season that you were still unaware. The onslaught of awards continued to pour in and the record books continued to be rewritten.
During the regular season, Clark overtook Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points to become the NCAA Women’s all-time leading scorer before she placed her name atop the list of career three pointers in NCAA history and the all-time leading scorer (regardless of gender) surpassing Pete Maravich’s long standing record of 3,667 points. Clark also broke the Iowa school record with 49 points in a single game. In addition to dropping the most points in a single quarter of a NCAA Championship game, Clark also became the first player in tournament history to record three 40-point games.
While she wasn’t the sole reason, Clark was the focal point of the most watched NCAA Women’s basketball game of all time when Iowa battled South Carolina in the Women’s finals when 18.9 million viewers tuned in, including 24.1 million during the final fifteen minutes. A week before that, Iowa set the record twice with their victories over UConn and the much anticipated Elite Eight rematch against LSU with 14.2 million and 12.3 million viewers respectively.
A generational talent regardless of being female or male, Clark had one of the most dominant NCAA basketball careers. While her name will be forever etched among the greatest players in the history of the game, her impact goes beyond Caitlin Clark stats and titles.
Captivating fans, inspiring a new generation of female athletes and helping to elevate the awareness of women’s basketball, Clark’s achievements have transcended individual accolades.
