Former Iowa Hawkeyes and current Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark cemented herself as one of the best players in women’s college basketball history, setting countless records during her time in Iowa City.
Breaking Down Caitlin Clark’s Numerous Iowa and NCAA Records
Simply put, Clark dominated at the collegiate level. She finished her career as the NCAA Division 1 all-time leading scorer and was honored with two Naismith Women’s Player of the Year awards in her final two seasons.
But to fully understand her journey to the top, we’ll have to start with her freshman season, when she burst onto the scene at only 18 years old.
Freshman Season (2020-21)
During her first season playing college basketball, she led the country in scoring (26.6 ppg), was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and was voted first-team All-American by both the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Women’s College Basketball Coaches Association.
Two months into the season, she set the single-game scoring record for Pinnacle Bank Arena by scoring 39 points against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in an 88-81 win on Feb. 11, 2021.
She also broke the Big Ten single-game records for points (39) and three-pointers made (9) as well as a Big Ten Tournament assists record with 37 total assists across four conference tournament games.
Behind Clark, the Hawkeyes won two NCAA Tournament games before losing in the Elite Eight to the UConn Huskies despite her 21-point effort.
The world was put on notice during her freshman season — but nobody quite the level of domination that would come in the near future.
Sophomore Season (2021-22)
Clark’s second college basketball season saw the development of her entire repertoire of skills that we’ve come to know.
She became the first Division 1 men’s or women’s player to record consecutive 30-point triple-doubles when she recorded games of 31p-10r-10a and 31p-13r-11a within a span of four days. That also made her the first woman in Big Ten history to have two straight triple-doubles.
Against the Penn State Nittany Lions on January 25, 2021, she set the Iowa assists record with 18 assists. That mark tied for the most ever in a Big Ten game.
But that’s not to say she didn’t keep scoring. She did — and at a record-breaking level. Clark became the fastest Big Ten player to reach 1,000 points and set the women’s single-game scoring record at Crisler Center (46 points) and Carver-Hawkeye Arena, her home court (43 points).
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She collected an impressive amount of accolades from her conference at the end of the season that included Big Ten Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten and Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Tournament.
Nationally, she was named first-team All-America by Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Iowa claimed the Big Ten Tournament championship and was named a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. After winning in the first round by 40 points, the Hawkeyes were upset by the tenth-seeded Creighton Blue Jays by a mere two points despite Clark’s near triple-double.
Junior Season (2022-23)
Clark stepped it up another notch during her junior season.
The expectations were high; ahead of the season, she was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and was a unanimous Associated Press preseason All-America team selection.
During the season, she continued her all-around game, translating into triple-doubles as she became the first player in men’s or women’s NCAA Tournament history to record a 30-point or 40-point triple-double, as well as becoming the Big Ten career leader in triple-doubles. In the Big Ten final, she recorded a triple-double — a first in the game’s history.
Her talented scoring ability continued to be on full display, as she tied Elena Della Donne as the fastest player to reach 2,000 points in Division 1 history. In addition to that, she achieved the Iowa and Big Ten single-season scoring records. In the NCAA Tournament, she scored the most points and assists by a men’s or women’s player in a single tournament.
In the entirety of the season, she totaled over 900 points and dished out over 300 assists, a historic feat that had never been done in college basketball history.
Her awards resume grew longer for the third straight season. This time, she won the AP Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Player of the Year, United States Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Nancy Lieberman Award and was a unanimous first-team All-American selection.
As she took another step forward, her Iowa squad took a large step forward as well.
The Hawkeyes were named the two-seed in the NCAA Tournament after once again winning the Big Ten championship. This time, behind five huge performances from Clark, Iowa reached the national championship game against the LSU Tigers.
Although they eventually lost, Clark still scored 30 points while nailing eight three-pointers and amassed eight assists, putting together another exceptional performance as part of one of the best seasons a player has ever had in college hoops.
Senior Year (2023-24)
It might have seemed impossible after what Clark had just produced on the floor, but her senior season was gearing up to be even better.
For the second straight year, she was named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and was a unanimous AP preseason All-America selection.
Stats-wise, she became the first player to notch 1,000 total points in separate seasons, set the Big Ten career record for made three-pointers, set the NCAA single-season record for made three-pointers, broke Iowa’s single-game scoring record by scoring 49 points, became Iowa and the Big Ten’s career leaders in assists, and capped it all off by becoming the Division 1 women’s career scoring record holder.
She also passed a number of women’s hoops legends along the way. She passed Temeka Johnson for the most career assists in NCAA Tournament history, Diana Taurasi for the most three-point field goals in NCAA Tournament history, Taylor Robertson for most career three-point field goals in NCAA history, and tied Courtney Moses for most three-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game (nine).
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Clark won the Naismith Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award, and the United States Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Year — all for the second year in a row.
The Hawkeyes once again reached the national championship game but fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 87-75. Clark scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out five assists in the defeat, ending her storied college basketball career.
Arguably the best college basketball player of all time — men’s or women’s — Clark’s number was rightfully raised into the rafters soon after her career ended at Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, solidifying her impact on the program forever.
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