Caitlin Clark Breaks Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division I Career Scoring Record
Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark became the NCAA Division I women’s basketball career scoring leader Thursday night, when she scored her 3,528th career point in the first quarter of the Hawkeyes’ matchup against Michigan.
Clark sent the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd into a frenzy when she hit the record-breaking basket to surpass former Washington star Kelsey Plum, who held the previous record since 2017.
Clark’s name will be in the history books forever after she hit a three-pointer in the first few minutes of the game. She needed just eight points entering Thursday night, and wasted no time doing it, scoring all of Iowa’s first eight points and eclipsing the record with a three from the logo. She finished the first quarter with 23 points.
Clark went on to score a career-high 49 points in a 106–89 Iowa victory, beating her previous personal best of 46 set at Michigan on Feb. 6, 2022.
Clark broke the all-time scoring record in her 126th career game, and her career total momentarily stands at 3,569. Plum racked up 3,527 points in 139 games.
Plum, a six-year WNBA veteran and two-time All-Star, previously said she was “excited” and “happy” for Clark to eclipse her record.
The all-time women’s college basketball scoring record belongs to Kansas’s Lynette Woodard, who played before the NCAA sanctioned women’s sports. Woodard recorded 3,649 points for the Jayhawks from 1977-78 through 1980-81.
Clark has been breaking records all season, starting with the Hawkeyes hosting over 55,000 fans in Kinnick Stadium, the university’s football stadium, for an exhibition game in October. The 22-year-old became the Hawkeyes’ all-time leading scorer in November and shattered the Big Ten career scoring record in January.
Tickets to Thursday night’s game skyrocketed to hundreds of dollars once fans realized Clark would likely break the record at home that night.
With one major scoring record behind her, Clark can now focus on steering Iowa back to the Final Four.
After Thursday’s contest against Michigan, the Hawkeyes have four regular-season games remaining before the Big Ten tournament begins March 6.
NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Career Scoring Leaders
| Name | School | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
Caitlin Clark | Iowa | 2020-24 | 3,569 |
Kelsey Plum | Washington | 2013-17 | 3,527 |
Kelsey Mitchell | Ohio State | 2014-18 | 3,402 |
Jackie Stiles | Missouri State | 1997-2001 | 3,393 |
Brittney Griner | Baylor | 2009-13 | 3,283 |
