Caitlin Clark Reigns Supreme: Iowa Time Machine February 15, 2024

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 15, 2024, Caitlin Clark sank a deep three-pointer to become the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring leader. Pushing her career total past Kelsey Plum's 3,527 points, the moment marked the ascendance of a generational talent who fundamentally altered the trajectory of women's basketball.

The 2023-24 college basketball season unfolded against a backdrop of surging interest in women's sports. Title IX had been the law for over fifty years, yet professional women's basketball continued to scrap for mainstream recognition in many places. Growing up in a traditional hotbed for women’s basketball, Clark arrived in Iowa City from Dowling Catholic High School to forever change the game. Her range extended well beyond the NBA three-point line, her passing dazzled, and her competitive fire burned visibly on her face after every made basket.

Clark entered that February 15 game needing 18 points to break the record. The Michigan Wolverines provided little resistance as Iowa dominated from the opening tip. Midway through the third quarter, Clark caught the ball near half court, surveyed the defense, and without hesitation launched a shot from deep. The arena erupted as Clark raised her arms in triumph, tears streaming down her face as teammates mobbed her. She finished with 49 points in a 106-89 rout, the exclamation point on a record that would ultimately reach 3,951 career points and set the scoring record for all of NCAA basketball when Clark passed the great “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

Television ratings for women's college basketball soared that season, with Iowa games regularly drawing more than 3 million viewers. Clark's jersey became the best-selling NCAA product across all sports. Drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever after taking the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship game appearances, Clark continued to reset the ceiling of women’s basketball as a true athletic luminary. #Iowa #OTD #History #Basketball #CaitlinClark