ESPN
Apr 16, 2024, 03:45 AM
CLEVELAND -- The collegiate career of the greatest scorer in NCAA Division I basketball is over. Caitlin Clark and Iowa lost in the women's national championship game Sunday, falling to No. 1 overall seed South Carolina 87-75. The Gameco*cks went a perfect 38-0 this season to become the 10th perfect team in Division I women's basketball history.
Top-seeded Iowa, which reached the NCAA title game for the second consecutive season, ended the season at 34-5. Clark finished with 30 points Sunday - scoring 18 in the first quarter, the most in a period in a national championship game. She ends her career with 3,951 points. She averaged 31.6 PPG this season and 28.4 over 139 career games.
Clark's season has included milestones and broken records.
In a 17-day span from Feb. 15 to March 3, Clark broke Kelsey Plum's record to become the all-time women's NCAA Division I scoring leader, passed AIAW legend Lynette Woodard for the major college scoring record, and passed LSU legend Pete Maravich for most career points in Division I history for men and women.
We've tracked Clark's entire senior season. Through her final game on April 7, Clark scored 1,234 points. For her career, Clark has:
59 30-point games (including 22 this season), the most by a Division I player in the past 25 seasons
17 triple-doubles (including six this season), which ranks second in D-I history behind Sabrina Ionescu (26)
13 40-point games (including five this season), the most by any D-I player over the past 25 seasons
Clark after being drafted No. 1 overall: 'I earned it'
Caitlin Clark joins Holly Rowe as she reflects on her journey and expresses her emotions after being selected No. 1 overall.
Clark's game-by-game stats
Caitlin Clark selected by Fever with No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft
Caitlin Clark is selected No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Caitlin Clark posted this after her final game with Iowa 💛 pic.twitter.com/4UFnW4TGGG
— ESPN (@espn) April 7, 2024
Recent news
South Carolina claims NCAA championship over Clark, Iowa
Clark, Staley disagree on claim to GOAT status
Clark leads Iowa past UConn, back to NCAA title game
Iowa tops LSU, wins NCAA title game rematch behind unstoppable Clark
Reese on Clark: 'We don't hate each other'
Clark scores 29 as Iowa advances to face LSU in Elite Eight
Clark closes home career as Iowa gets 'resilient' win over West Virginia
Clark overcomes slow start, guides Iowa past Holy Cross with near triple-double
Caitlin Clark lays out lofty expectations in the WNBA
Caitlin Clark sits down with Holly Rowe to talk about what makes Clark unique, and what her goals are in the WNBA.
March Madness coverage
Caitlin Clark's greatest legacy? Growing the game like no one else
In captivating everyone from hoops fanatics to non-sports fans, Caitlin Clark has grown women's college basketball like no player before her, Rebecca Lobo writes.
Caitlin Clark and Iowa find peace in the process
She overcame trust issues and chartered a yacht. Now Caitlin Clark is ready for March, Wright Thompson writes.
Is Clark or Bueckers the nation's top player? We've crunched the numbers
Caitlin Clark is the better scorer and playmaker. Paige Bueckers has a more complete game. Is the UConn star really as good offensively? Kevin Pelton dives into the metrics.
What records did Clark break?
Caitlin Clark is the only player in Division I history to lead a season in PPG and lead a season in APG -- and she has done each twice. She led both during the 2021-22 season.
Every record Caitlin Clark has broken during her Iowa career
There have been some great offensive players in WCBB the last 20 years (Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, EDD, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum). I believe @CaitlinClark22 is the best player on the offensive end since Diana Taurasi. pic.twitter.com/mlPQHmypms
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) January 8, 2024
What was Clark's career high?
Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 49 points on Feb. 15, shooting 16-for-31 from the field, 9-for-18 on 3-pointers and hitting all eight of her free throw attempts against Michigan.
Clark's previous high was 46 points in a game her sophom*ore season on Feb. 6, 2022. Clark scored 44 points in Iowa's win over Virginia Tech last November and 45 in an overtime loss to Ohio State on Jan. 21.
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 29, 2024
Clark declares for WNBA draft; how will she fit with Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark announced on social media on Feb. 29 that she will be finishing her college career this year and won't be coming back for a fifth season via the COVID-19 waiver.
"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa," Clark wrote. "I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA draft."
What sort of stats will the presumptive No. 1 pick put up as a rookie? How will she fit in Indiana? Will ticket sales and TV ratings follow her to the WNBA? ESPN broke it down. Analyst Rebecca Lobo believes Clark "will make the Fever a playoff contender in 2024."
Mock draft: Clark a lock at No. 1, but who comes next?
Caitlin Clark scores 30 points in final collegiate game
Caitlin Clark scores 30 points in the national championship game, but it's not enough as Iowa falls to undefeated South Carolina.
More on Clark
'We've never seen a woman play like this'
Rebecca Lobo: Clark is 'best offensive player I've seen' in three decades
It's rare for someone to come along and change how a sport is played. That's what Clark, who passed Pete Maravich's scoring record Sunday, has done, Rebecca Lobo writes.
A closer look at two scoring legends
Clark and Pistol Pete: Two legends, one scoring record and similar games
Though 50 years separates their careers, the playing styles of Caitlin Clark and Pete Maravich are similar, writes Michael Voepel and Paul Biancardi -- with a little help from Bill Walton.
$1,000 floor seats and sellout crowds: Inside the Caitlin Clark road show
Long lines, sellout crowds and extra security are expected every time Clark and the Hawkeyes leave Iowa City, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg writes. "There's a little bit more than a basketball game happening. This feels like an event," said an administrator at Northwestern, where some fans lined up and waited in line for over seven hours to get the best seat to see Clark play.
