Caitlin Clark is now the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. What’s next for her?
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA Division I all-time scoring record on Sunday, becoming the all-time leading scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Clark tied and then broke the record with a pair of free throws, surpassing LSU’s Pete Maravich’s 3,667 points. Her total from Sunday’s game now puts her at 3,685 points.
FOR THE ALL-TIME SCORING RECORD!!!!! 🤩 🔥 CAITLIN CLARK!@CaitlinClark22 x @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/dBHFW9k2PK
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 3, 2024
The Utah connection to Caitlin Clark’s NCAA all-time scoring record
The record was set by Maravich in 1970. Maravich went on after college to the NBA and played for the New Orleans Jazz and then the Utah Jazz when the team moved to Salt Lake City.
“Pistol Pete,” as Maravich is commonly called, played 17 games in Utah in 1979 before he was waived and then retired later that season, according to Basketball-Reference.
Why do some people not consider Caitlin Clark the true NCAA all-time scoring leader?
Critics claim Clark is not the true NCAA Division I leader because 1,527 of her 3,685 points come from 3-pointers. When Maravich was playing at LSU, basketball didn’t have 3-pointers. The NCAA didn’t adopt the 3-point line until 1986, six years after Maravich retired from basketball, according to Sports Illustrated.
Maravich also accomplished the feat in only three seasons (83 games) because the NCAA prohibited freshmen from playing, according to The Athletic. Clark has played in 130 games for Iowa over the course of four seasons.
What’s next for Caitlin Clark?
Clark and Iowa’s other seniors were honored on Sunday for senior night, which marked Clark’s last game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. She still has the Big 10 tournament and March Madness left in her time at Iowa.
On Thursday, Clark announced she would forgo her COVID-19 eligibility for a fifth and final season to enter the 2024 WNBA draft, as the Deseret News previously reported. She is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick.
The Indiana Fever will pick first and were quick to react on social media to Clark’s announcement, all but confirming she’d be their selection with the first pick.
The Fever were quick to remind the world that they have the No. 1 pick and to promote season ticket sales following Clark’s announcement with a handful of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
we're just simply reminding you that there are only 46 days until the 2024 WNBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/23AA4xClug
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 29, 2024
hop on board 😈https://t.co/OfM7ZU44lk pic.twitter.com/aRnIGW445M
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 29, 2024
Clark’s economic impact has already affected the WNBA. The average ticket price for Fever games increased from last season’s price of $60 to $140 within 24 hours of Clark announcing her decision to turn professional, according to Vivid Seats.
Here’s how social media reacted to Caitlin Clark breaking the NCAA record
Celebrities descended on Iowa City to watch Clark make history, including rapper Travis Scott, former WNBA star Maya Moore and retired Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
Here’s a sample of how the world reacted to her latest achievement on social media:
Congratulations to Caitlin Clark on making history as the NCAA all-time leading scorer. With 3,685 points and counting, you’ve made your school proud. https://t.co/ZBzuVwgvNk
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 4, 2024
CONGRATS @CaitlinClark22 on becoming the All-Time leading scorer!! 🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣. 🙏🏾🫡👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 3, 2024
RESPECT 🫡 https://t.co/218d75sa4B
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) March 3, 2024
"Caitlin Clark. She's one of the greatest humans of all time."
Travis Scott (@trvisXX) was in Iowa City to see history. pic.twitter.com/qOybBBHzt1— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) March 3, 2024
Another milestone for Caitlin Clark 🐐 pic.twitter.com/OfePf4bm1B
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 3, 2024
The impact of Caitlin Clark: She has rappers, Hall of Fame pitchers, former WNBA and star college players, well-known commercial figures, all under the same roof today to watch her and her team play basketball.
— Brendan Stiles (@thebstiles) March 3, 2024
We tried to put all of Caitlin Clark’s accomplishments on one page but it didn’t fit. 🤷♀️🤯 pic.twitter.com/fJDSx4YS0u
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 3, 2024