Thursday February 15, 2024, was a historic night for not only Caitlin Clark, but the NCAA as well. Coming into this matchup against Michigan, Clark needed just 8 points to become the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring leader. This record was previously set at 3,527 by Kelsey Plum in 2017.[1] This took Clark all of 2 minutes and 15 seconds to complete. On Iowa’s first possession, Clark put up a layup, then on the second possession a 3-pointer from the left side, and the fifth possession was the historic logo 3-pointer.[2] Iowa swiftly called a timeout to celebrate this accomplishment. This accomplishment also only took Clark 126 NCAA games to complete, which also happens to be the fastest to reach the previous set record.[3] In the first quarter alone, Clark put up 23 points, and she outscored the entire Michigan team by herself.[4] In Clark’s entire NCAA career, she has only scored less than 20 points per game in 15 games.[5] Clark didn’t stop after the historic shot; she continued to dominate the rest of the game. She went on to score 49 points, which was not only a single career high, but an arena high, as well as a team high.[6] The NCAA women’s basketball scoring record is now set at 3,569 and counting. Clark also dished out 13 assists while grabbing 5 rebounds.[7] Clark has led the NCAA in scoring and assists for two consecutive years.[8] Clark’s also a two-time unanimous first-team All-American and will likely repeat as the Naismith College Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award winner.[9]
Clark has become a hot commodity since last season’s women’s NCAA tournament l, with the matchup of LSU vs. Iowa. This has led Clark to gain the attention of many top NIL collectives. Clark came into the Michigan game ranked at 40 for NIL value top 100, and by the end of the game was at 38.[10] Clark signed with Nike in Fall 2022, and has been with them ever since. This has allowed Nike to sell jerseys and merchandise with Clark’s name or number embroidered on them. Nike paid tribute to Clark after her record-breaking night in a social media post that stated, “you break it, you own it.” In addition to Nike, Clark also has deals with Gatorade, Buick, H&R Block, Hy-Vee, and State Farm.[11] Clark is the first and only NIL athlete to have a deal with State Farm. Clark is projected to be drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and we can imagine her NIL deals will only increase before draft time. Iowa is looking to make another appearance in the March Madness women’s tournament, which will put even more focus upon Clark. Clark is also looking to obtain the NCAA leading scorer and assister for her third-consecutive year. It will be interesting to see how Iowa and Clark do the rest of the season, as Clark is a senior, so this could possibly be her last year in the NCAA if she chooses not to use her COVID year of eligibility for one more season with the Hawkeyes.
[1]Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA women’s scoring record, surpassing Kelsey Plum – The Washington Post
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Caitlin Clark’s Nike Deal: What Are the Details of the NIL Contract? – Footwear News
[9] Id.
[10] https://www.on3.com/nil/rankings/player/nil-100/
[11] Caitlin Clark’s Nike Deal: What Are the Details of the NIL Contract? – Footwear News
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