Caitlin Clark. A name that has spiraled around the world in conversation and social media over the last few months breaking record after record. The Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark has been unstoppable in her senior campaign leading Iowa to the Final Four. In a rematch of last year’s NCAA women’s basketball national championship game, Iowa defeated the reigning national champions, LSU Tigers with a huge 94-87 win. Clark dropped 41 points to contribute to the win and tied yet another record for the most 3-pointers in a women’s NCAA tournament game.
Caitlin Clark has set 6 records since February. Breaking records and winning games have appeared to come easy for Clark and the Hawkeyes as they sit with a 33-4 record. On February 15th, Clark broke the all-time women’s Division I scoring record with 3,900 points, averaging 28.5 points per game. She continues to shock the sports world, especially her opponents. Ahead of the huge Final Four face matchup tomorrow night facing off against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies for a spot in the national championship game, UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma had some jokes for Clark on her skill during March Madness. In a press conference, Geno had said, “I hope Caitlin had a personal agenda against LSU… I don’t need to be seeing her drop 50 on us.”
Not only did Geno have something to say about Clark, but so did LSU Head Coach Kim Mulkey following the Elite Eight LSU vs. Iowa game. Mulkey stated [to Caitlin], “I sure am glad you’re leaving.” With the decision of Clark to be eligible for the WNBA draft, she will continue her basketball career at the next level and leave NCAA basketball holding the scoring record for all Division I NCAA basketball. On top of that, Clar–along with–UConn’s Paige Bueckers, were named headline the five-player finalist list for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the most outstanding player in women’s college basketball. Caitlin was named the winner of the 2023 Wooden Award and was also presented with the John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year.
It wasn’t just fans and opponents who were blown away by Clark’s dominance; Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, known for his own impressive performances on the court, also couldn’t help but be in awe of the 22-year-old’s skills. In an appearance on “Undisputed,” Pierce gushed about Clark’s incredible talent, saying he was mesmerized and couldn’t get enough of Clark’s play. The Iowa win to advance to the Final Four had record-breaking viewership. This matchup against LSU earlier in the week drew in 12.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever. Now ahead of tomorrow’s Final Four matchups featuring Iowa vs. UConn, and North Carolina State vs. South Carolina, we will see incredible talent go head-to-head in a ‘do or die’ moment. Who will face off for the national championship?
