LINCOLN, Nebraska —c Clark’s quest of the NCAA women’s career scoring record will last at least four more days, following her 31-point outburst in No. 2 Iowa’s 82-79 loss to Nebraska on Sunday.
The generational talent who has brought unprecedented attention to women’s basketball entered the game 39 points shy of surpassing Kelsey Plum’s record of 3,527 for Washington from 2013 to 2017.
Clark went scoreless for the final 12 1/2 minutes against Nebraska and now needs eight points to break the record. She is poised to accomplish so Thursday night in Iowa City versus Michigan.
“It’s not at the forefront of my mind right now,” Clark said. “Really just getting better, getting back home, playing in front of our supporters, and executing the way we know we can is critical for this team. We will have two practices to prepare for it. Obviously, it will be special. The main focus right now is on finding methods to develop and improve.”
Plum, who is representing Team USA in an Olympic qualification competition in Belgium, congratulated Clark prematurely on X, formerly known as Twitter. Plum quickly rectified herself, tweeting, “My bad, next game.”
Fans began lined up in sub-zero temperatures six hours before kickoff to enter Pinnacle Bank Arena. Clark has never scored fewer than 30 points in nine games against Nebraska, and many fans came hoping to watch her make history.
The Huskers altered their defenses against Clark. Callin Hake, Jaz Shelley, and Kendall Moriarty alternated playing her straight up. They double-teamed her up high before switching to a box-and-one in the second half.
Clark was within a single digit of the record when she sank two free throws after a technical penalty on Nebraska late in the third quarter. She did not score again.
Clark missed her final six attempts from the field, finishing 10 of 25 overall and 5 of 15 on three-pointers.
The game had been sold out since early January, and vendors on the secondary ticket market were asking as much as $2,000 for a seat in the lower bowl late this week.
90 minutes before tipoff, five adolescent girls in an end zone section began chanting “Caitlin Clark!” while carrying up letters spelling out “CLARK.”
When Clark was first visible in the tunnel leading from the locker room to the floor, the cheers became louder. Fans leaning against the railing leaned down, hoping for a hand slap as she passed. A standing ovation followed when Clark, accompanied by a security officer, came onto the floor to begin shooting drills. She shot alone for five minutes before her teammates joined.
Kim Malone of Omaha arrived at around 8:15 a.m. with a banner that said, “Feels like a beautiful day to dump a 40 piece. Allow her to cook. GOAT 22.”
“We’re here early because we love Caitlin Clark and what she’s done for women’s basketball,” Malone said in a statement. “I played Division II, my daughter plays, and we both enjoy basketball. It’s incredible to see how many people show there.”
Malone praised Clark’s courage onstage.
“She’s like the closest thing to Kobe Bryant for us, and we love Kobe,” she went on to say. “Her work ethic and drive to be the best are admirable, but she never loses sight of the bigger picture. She includes everyone. Her passing abilities are excellent. “She is one of a kind.”
Nick Ames of Lincoln was the first person in line to enter the arena, arriving at 6:45 a.m. He came to cheer for Nebraska and donned a T-shirt that read, “I’m Kevin O’Hare’s Favorite Cousin.” O’Hare is Clark’s shooting coach.
“I’m here to heckle today because I don’t want her to get that record, and I just thought the shirt and bringing up him would be something to get in her head a little bit,” said Ames, adding that his objective was to get as near to the court as he could so she could see the shirt. “I am a Husker fan. She can bring it from home if she wants.”
After breaking the NCAA record, Clark will aim for the all-time major women’s collegiate scoring record of 3,649 set by Kansas’ Lynette Woodard from 1977-81. During Woodard’s tenure, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women oversaw women’s sports.
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