Caitlin Clark set a few more records on her way out the door on Sunday afternoon.
The Iowa Hawkeyes star erupted in the first quarter of their national championship game against South Carolina on Sunday. Clark put up 18 points in the first 10 minutes of the game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, thanks to a deep 3-pointer in the final seconds, which marked the most points ever scored in a single quarter of a championship game.
That bucket also set the all-time NCAA tournament scoring record, and moved Clark past both Maya Moore and Chamique Holdsclaw — who previously held the all-time mark with 479 career tournament points.
Clark entered the game just 17 points of matching Holdsclaw’s record, which she set in the 1990s while winning three straight national titles with Tennessee. Clark led the country in scoring this season with 31.7 points per game, and she’s averaged 30 points per game in the tournament entering Sunday, so the record was within her grasp.
Clark’s first quarter even caught the attention of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 7, 2024
Clark set a single-tournament record last season while leading the Hawkeyes to the championship game, where they fell to Angel Reese and LSU. Clark put up 196 points in six games last season, including back-to-back 40 point performances. She then led the Hawkeyes back to the national title game this season after beating both LSU in the Elite Eight and then UConn in the Final Four on Friday.
Clark, who became the NCAA’s men’s and women’s all time leading scorer earlier this season while earning back-to-back National Player of the Year honors, is sure to be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft later this month.
She finished the first quarter with 18 points and shot 5-of-8 from the field, which gave the Hawkeyes a 27-20 lead.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
Source Agencies
