Only 39 points separates Caitlin Clark from women’s college basketball history.
Clark is within a manageable distance (especially for her) of breaking Kelsey Plum’s all-time scoring record. She’ll have to do so on the road against Nebraska, which she shredded for 38 points during a 92-73 win back on Jan. 27. That began the current four-game winning streak for No. 2 Iowa (22-2).
Plum, who starred at Washington from 2013-17, has held the record since passing Jackie Stiles’ previous mark of 3,393 points in 2017. Plum did so in jaw-dropping fashion, scoring 57 points against Utah during the Huskies’ final regular-season game of the 2016-17 season.
USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, scores, highlights, analysis and more throughout the game. Follow along.
The sign held up by a little girl in the crowd says it all: “What Super Bowl? I love Caitlin!”
Iowa’s superstar is about to steal the show, as her 31 points have put her just eight away from breaking the record.
It’s getting chippy, too, as every Nebraska guard takes turns bumping Clark around the perimeter. Bluder is furious with the officials, and Clark isn’t happy either. Nebraska is playing a dangerous game though. As many opposing teams learned the hard way, making Clark angry is a good way to make her go off on you.
Along with her 31, Clark also has eight assists and six rebounds. Is it possible she not only sets the record today, but also notches a double double or even a triple double?
Caitlin Clark watch: 13 points to break the record
After Iowa beat Penn State the other night, Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder said if she had it her way, Caitlin Clark would break the scoring record at home vs. Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 15.
But the first priority, Bluder stressed, would be wining the game.
And that’s how we’ve gotten here, where Clark has 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting (plus six assists and five rebounds). With Stuelke in a little bit of foul trouble, Molly Davis battling a cold and Nebraska hanging around, Clark is starting to take over.
Caitlin Clark knows what Iowa needs to win this game.
The Hawkeyes had their way with Nebraska early, only for the Huskers to fight their way back. They trail by just four points, 39-35, going into the half.
“We’re not playing with enough energy,” Clark said as she left the court. “I think we need to pick up our energy a little bit.” Iowa likes to run, and Nebraska has been successful in slowing the game down. Clark said she thinks if Iowa pushes the tempo more and improves its ball movement, the game will be more to the Hawkeyes’ liking.
Caitlin Clark watch: 22 points to break the record
Well it appears Caitlin Clark isn’t the only shooter on the floor this game.
Nebraska’s Jay Shelley is making sure Clark doesn’t get all the attention, connecting on 3-of-5 attempts from long-distance to lead Nebraska with 11 points and keep the Huskers within striking distance. Both Nebraska and Iowa have hit four 3s.
But again, the difference is in turnovers, as Iowa has turned eight Nebraska turnovers into 12 points. Nebraska has only managed to score five points off of seven Iowa turnovers.
But there are a lot of positive signs for Nebraska in the first half. The Huskers have outscored Iowa’s bench 13-2, they’re winning the rebounding battle 21-20 and they’ve only put Iowa on the line three times. If they can keep Clark in check in the second half — she has 17 points but has taken 15 shots — they might be able to pull off the upset.
A(nother) milestone for Caitlin Clark!
No, not that one. But a significant one nonetheless. With a bounce pass down low to Kate Martin, Clark recorded the 1,000th assist of her career. She’s only the sixth player in NCAA women’s basketball to reach that mark.
Clark’s scoring gets the most attention. Obviously. With 17 points so far against Nebraska, she needs just 22 to pass Kelsey Plum as the all-time scoring leader in women’s basketball. But she’s so dangerous because she not only creates her own shot, she sets up her teammates, too.
Her five assists against the Huskers – so far – come three days after she had 15 against Penn State.
Every game Caitlin Clark plays, whether at home or on the road, has become an event. Her dad would like to see that be the case for every player’s games.
Brent Clark told FOX Sports sideline reporter Allison Williams during the second quarter that it was “really humbling” to see all the fans lined up hours before tipoff waiting to see his daughter. But the attention, he said, is warranted.
“This is what it should be like for every sports event,” Brent Clark said. “Women’s basketball is awesome.”
Caitlin Clark watch: 29 points to break the record.
Nebraska seems eager to make it tough for Clark today. Though Clark just knocked down a 3 to give her 10 points, the Huskers are being physical with her anytime she drives the lane, and they’ve bumped her enough that she’s missed some easy looks at the rim (and in typical Clark fashion, she’s let the officials know she’s not happy about the contact).
Meanwhile, Hannah Stuelke continues her hot streak for Iowa, already scoring seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. She’s also got three rebounds.
Nebraska’s effort ‘not quite good enough’
Despite only trailing by three after the first quarter, Nebraska coach Amy Williams said her team’s defensive effort is “not quite good enough.” The problem, Williams said, is Iowa is getting too many touches in the paint. Credit Clark with that. With the Huskers clamping down on her outside, she’s been feeding Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter, who’ve been able to score inside.
Caitlin Clark watch: 32 points to break the record.
Not a bad quarter from Nebraska, though Iowa has turned four Cornhusker turnovers into six points, while Nebraska hasn’t done anything with Iowa’s three turnovers. Iowa is also dominating points in the paint, 12-4. That’s a trend likely to continue with Nebraska’s Markowski on the bench with foul trouble. Markowski has a team-high four points and five rebounds, too, so Nebraska is going to miss her on both ends.
Oof. Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski just picked up her second foul and there’s still almost five minutes left in the FIRST QUARTER. Upsetting Iowa, even at home, was always going to be a tall ask for the Huskers. Iowa has won the last nine against Nebraska, and the Huskers haven’t beaten a Top 25 team yet this season, let alone the No. 2 in the country. But to have any shot, Nebraska needs a big game from Markowski, who’s been averaging a double-double. That’s going to be tough if she has to spend long stretches on the bench.
First, the update everyone cares about: Caitlin Clark is now just 34 points from breaking the record.
She’s got five points already after a 3 (of course) and a nifty layup.
Many people think she’ll hold off from breaking the record today so she can do it at home vs. Michigan on Thursday — which the diehard Hawkeye fans would surely appreciate — but Clark has always had her way with Nebraska. It might be hard to turn that off.
In case you’re wondering, as you see all the black and gold in the stands, Iowa City and Lincoln are not exactly close.
Just how far? There are a little over 300 miles between the schools, which translates to about a 4.5-hour drive. But Iowa fans have traveled well all season, and a roadtrip isn’t going to dissuade the diehards from seeing their favorite player take a crack at history. On TV, FOX Sports’ Allison Williams said she talked to numerous parents in the stands whose kids wanted one thing for Christmas: Tickets to see Caitlin Clark.
Iowa vs. Nebraska: Time, TV for Hawkeyes-Cornhuskers
The women’s college basketball game between the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Lincoln, Nebraska. It will be broadcast on FOX, with Jason Benetti and Kim Adams as announcers. The game can also be found on Fubo and streamed on Fox Sports Live.
As Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark continues her climb up the scoring chart — the senior guard is just 39 points from becoming the all-time scoring leader in women’s NCAA basketball — and fans turn out in droves to see her, a question has started percolating in women’s basketball circles.
Could Clark make the Paris Olympic team?
There’s precedent for recent graduates to play with the senior national team at the Olympics shortly after they graduate. But the schedule doesn’t work in Clark’s favor, especially if she leads Iowa back to the Final Four.
Read more here.
By now you’ve probably heard that Iowa All-American Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player of the year, has a tendency to sell out any arena, at home or on the road. But for a closer look at #Clarkonomics — as ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli has termed it — USA TODAY reporter Jim Sergent worked up a graphic representation of just how much Iowa fans will spend and how far they’ll travel to see Clark in person. The numbers are eye-opening.
Whenever she breaks the scoring record — whether it’s today vs. Nebraska or at home Thursday vs. Michigan — Caitlin Clark is likely to do so by launching a lot of long 3s. Attempts from the logo have become her specialty.
But initially, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder admits, it was hard to give Clark so much freedom. The superstar had to earn it. And now, much like Warriors guard Steph Curry, Clark has ‘a separate set of rules.’
Read more here.
Caitlin Clark has 3,489 career points (and counting!) after scoring 27 in Iowa’s 111-93 win against Penn State on Thursday.
Here’s a breakdown of Clark’s scoring this season for the Hawkeyes:
- vs. Penn State, 2/8/24: 27 points
- at Maryland, 2/3/24: 38 points
- at Northwestern, 1/31/24: 35 points
- vs. Nebraska, 1/27/2024: 38 points
- at Ohio State, 1/21/2024: 45 points (season-high)
- vs. Wisconsin, 1/16/2024: 32 points
- vs. Indiana, 1/13/2024: 30 points
- at Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 points
- at Rutgers, 1/5/2024: 29 points
- vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 points
- vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 points
- vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 points
- vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 points
- at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 points
- vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 points
- vs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 points
- vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 points
- vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 points
- vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 points
- vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 points
- vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 points
- at UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 points
- vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 points
- vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 points
Clark’s highest-scoring game came on Jan. 21, when she hung 45 points on Ohio State. Clark shot 12-for-25 that game, including 7-for-18 from 3-point range. She also grabbed three rebounds and handed out seven assists in the 100-92 loss.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
