Caitlin Clark Sets Another Record in Iowa Win

Even when the team is bad, the superstar is great, and that enabled Iowa to slip past West Virginia on Monday night at home and move on to the Sweet 16.

It was the final time that Caitlin Clark played in front on her fans in Iowa City, and the Mountaineers were ready to play. They were tied with Iowa as late as the fourth quarter – something that was not supposed to happen. Iowa averaged a nation-high 92.8 points per game this season, and managed to score just 64 in what would eventually be a 10-point win.

Of that 64, 32 of them belonged to Clark. It was her win on Monday, her goodbye to her home fans, and naturally it came with her setting yet another record. Clark finished the game with 1,113 points for the season, which is a new single-season record in women’s basketball. Kelsey Plum was the previous record-holder. It was also Plum’s record that Clark broke when she became the all-time women’s Division I scorer.

Clark’s Final Collegiate Goal

The thing that Clark has in spades are scoring records. The one big thing that still eludes her is a national championship. She and Iowa made it to the finals last year, but lost to LSU and rival Angel Reese.

In the Round-of-64, Iowa beat Holy Cross and Clark scored 27 points. Monday, she added 32 points in leading Iowa to the Sweet 16, where she and the Hawkeyes will face Colorado. Iowa is the top seed in the region, and Colorado is No. 5. The Buffaloes move on to the regional semifinals after their upset win on the road at Kansas State.

Iowa showed vulnerabilities against West Virginia, and they will need to be on their game against Colorado. Along with their win over No. 15 ranked Kansas State, the Buffs have wins this year over then-No. 1 LSU, then-No. 6 USC, and then-No. 12 Utah.

Of course, none of those teams have anyone like Clark, because no other team in history has had anyone like Clark. 

And perhaps no player in women’s college basketball is more motivated to win the one accolade that remains absent from her resume. She made it as far as the Sweet 16 in 2021. The next year, she was eliminated in the second round. Last year, she made the final. This year remains TBD. But the betting odds have Iowa as the favorite to win their region, beating LSU if both teams do get past their Sweet 16 games.

Clark vs. South Carolina

Iowa is the favorite to advance from the region, and they are the second betting favorite to win the national championship, paying +650. The heavy favorite remains South Carolina, who remain unbeaten on the season after rolling through the first two rounds.

In order for Clark to cut down the nets in Cleveland, she will have to get by the Gamecocks. Last year in the national semifinals, she did just that, scoring 41 points in the 77-73 win. South Carolina was perfect last season, too, until they met the Hawkeyes and Clark. 

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of Clark a year ago, “She was everything we saw on film.”

The film has only gotten better over the last 12 months, and this potential matchup has only gotten more desirable.