2024-03-04 14:11:59
Caitlin Clark (22, University of Iowa), the top star in American women’s college basketball, set the record for the most points ever in the NCAA (National Collegiate Sports Association) men’s and women’s first division leagues.
Clark (183cm), a point guard at the University of Iowa, scored 35 points (9 assists, 6 rebounds) in the home game against Ohio State University on the 4th and led the team to a 93-83 victory. Clark increased his four-year career score to 3,685 points (130 games), breaking by 18 points the previous record (3,667 points, 83 games) set by Pete Maravich (196 cm) while at LSU (Louisiana State University), an NCAA men’s team.
University of Iowa Clark (No. 22) is enjoying the ‘Senior Day’ event with his teammates during the home game against Ohio State University on the 4th. [AFP 연합뉴스]
It is difficult to simply compare the records of the two. Maravich scored 3,667 points in three seasons, starting from the 1967-1968 season when he was a sophomore. At the time, there was a rule that freshmen could not represent the school in NCAA games, so Maravich’s performance (741 points) in 19 games for the ‘freshman team’ was not recognized. There was also no 3-point shooting system in that era. If Maravich, a shooting guard, had played by today’s rules, he could have scored 5,000 points in his college career. He was the top scorer (average 31.1 points) in the 1976-1977 season when he was a member of the NBA (American professional basketball) New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz). Maravich, who retired after playing 10 seasons on the professional stage, died of heart problems in 1988 at the age of 40.
Clark, like Maravich, who was nicknamed ‘Pistol,’ has a lightning-quick mid-distance shooting ability. In the game against the University of Michigan last month, he scored 49 points, including a long-distance 3-pointer from about 10 meters away from the rim after crossing the halfway line by dribbling. On this day, Clark broke Kelly Plum’s record of 3,527 points (2013-2017, University of Washington), who was the top scorer among women in the NCAA first division, by 42 points (3,569 points). At the end of last month, Clark surpassed Lynette Woodard’s score of 3,649 (1977-1981, University of Kansas) in the pre-NCAA era. Clark’s career 3-point shots are 509 (38.3% success rate), ranking second all-time.
Young fans are cheering and holding signs cheering for Caitlin Clark ahead of the women’s basketball game between the University of Iowa and Ohio State University on the 4th. [USA TODAY 연합뉴스]
Clark ranks first among all NCAA women in scoring (average 32.2 points) and assists (average 8.7) this season. She has previously won her individual titles twice in both categories, and is likely to win her second gold again. She is so popular across the country that she has over 1 million followers on Instagram. For Iowa University home games, 15,000 spectator seats are sold out. Broadcast broadcasts such as ESPN and FOX are also frequent. The University of Iowa finished second in the NCAA Women’s Tournament, which determines the national champion, last year, and is expected to participate as a top seed again this year.
Last year, when Clark led the University of Iowa to a runner-up finish, he also defeated the ‘Invincible Armada’ University of South Carolina, which was on a 36-game winning streak, in the semifinals. Although they lost to LSU in the finals, First Lady Jill Biden, who was fascinated by Clark’s propaganda at the time, changed the custom of inviting the winning team to the White House and suggested inviting the runner-up team as well, which drew backlash from the winning team.
“It was something I could never have imagined when I started my college career,” said Clark, who set the record for the most points in an NCAA career. “I don’t really care about personal records because the team goal is important. In the future, I will support the athlete who challenges my record. “That’s the fun of basketball,” he said.
Clark, who is about to graduate, will advance to the WNBA (Women’s Professional Basketball) this year. There’s a good chance she’ll be in an Indiana Fever uniform with the rookie No. 1 overall pick. Her average ticket price in Indiana has already jumped to $140 (about 180,000 won) from $60 last season, she said. It is the ‘Clark effect’.
Clark signing autographs for fans after the game against Ohio State on the 4th. [USA투데이]
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