Caitlin Clark breaks 54-year record and becomes the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer

After a dominant 35-point performance against none other than No. 2 Ohio State, Caitlin Clark became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer this Sunday. The young guard broke a 54-year record from Pete Maravich for most points in Division 1, a mark that was largely viewed as touchable since his brilliant seasons at LSU. 

“Honestly, if you would have told me that before my college career started, I would have laughed in your face and been like, ‘No, you’re insane,’” the 22-year-old shared about overcoming the historic mark.

Clark, who also gave out 9 assists and won 6 rebounds in Iowa’s 93-83 win, now sums up a total of 3,685 points in her collegiate career, against Maravich’s 3,667 set in 1970. Only two weeks ago, she passed Kelsey Plum for most scored in NCAA women’s basketball, and then this past Wednesday she did the same with Lynette Woodard who held the all-time record including AIAW athletes.

CAITLIN CLARK PASSES PETE MARAVICH TO BECOME THE NCAA'S MEN'S & WOMEN'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER ♨️

HISTORY MADE 🐐 pic.twitter.com/aCLEtN6vOP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2024

As she heads into the final games of the season, she’s declared for the WNBA Draft and won’t play her last year for Iowa. “I’ve always been able to score the ball, but I don’t think people really understand how many amazing players have come before me and been able to score the ball and done it at such a high rate,” Caitlin expressed. “And do it for teams that are really, really good.”

Her coach Lisa Bluder hopes that breaking this record will inspire others to help women’s sport advance, although “to me, you don’t have to break a man’s record to be recognized.” She then added: “I admire Pistol Pete, but at the same time, I just don’t want that to be the bar for women’s athletics.”

Last week, Iowa invited Woodard to witness the regular season finale after Clark broke the record she had set back in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Kansas. “I have never had the honor of meeting Lynette Woodard until today, and it was a real privilege,” Bluder claimed. “She was my role model growing up, one of mine.”

The Iowa coach then revealed how important it was for her and her squad to bring Woodard into the locker room. “I don’t think Lynette Woodard would have this moment without Caitlin Clark,” Woodard said, explaining how the 22-year-old guard’s exhibitions have drawn attention to her broken record.

Clark was honored to meet her childhood idol after breaking Pete Maravich’s NCAA record

Once she broke the 3,667 record established by Pete Maravich 54 years ago, she not only received a standing ovation in Iowa, but was surprised by her childhood idol Maya Moore after the contest. Clark admitted she grew up following the former Connecticut star’s career, who won four WNBA titles in seven years with the Minnesota Lynx.

“Maya Moore was the person that shook Caitlin’s hand when Caitlin was little,” the Iowa coach revealed. “And it’s just that kind of pass it along, pass it along, right? Because now Caitlin’s that person like Maya Moore that can do that for other people. So I love that.”

Just as Caitlin couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Moore appear during a televised interview, she said she was so embarrassed to be “fan girling so hard.”

The legendary WNBA player also had a message for fans following women’s sports, saying that all the game needs is more attention for everyone to realize their potential. “The thing we’ve been saying all along is just give us a chance to be seen, and you’ll like what you see,” she concluded after meeting with Clark.