Caitlin Clark Scoring Record: How to Watch Iowa Star Pass Kelsey Plum

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena on February 11, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Clark will likely break the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record on Thursday against Michigan.

For most of Sunday afternoon’s Iowa women’s basketball game, it seemed like a record-breaking performance from superstar Caitlin Clark was going to serve as a historic lead-in to the Super Bowl. Then the fourth quarter happened.

The then No. 2 Hawkeyes (22-3 record) were outscored by 17 points over the final 10 minutes of play in an 82-79 road loss to the rallying Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-8). Clark scored 31 points, but none in the fourth, falling just behind the 39 she needed on the day to pass Kelsey Plum as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s college basketball history. The dynamic, sharpshooting guard from Des Moines will have to wait a few more days to take her place at the top—not that that’s where her mind was at postgame.

“You can’t get too caught up in one loss,” Clark told reporters Sunday. “All everybody needs right now is a boost of confidence, and I know I can give it to them.”

Clark was speaking more toward the win-loss column than personal achievements, but breaking the record—which Clark has downplayed recently and said is not a distraction to the team—may just qualify as a boost for the Hawkeyes. And the Hawkeye State.

Here’s everything to know about Clark’s scoring-record pursuit.

When Does Caitlin Clark Play Next?

Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said last week that her preference would be for Clark to break the scoring record at home, giving Hawkeyes fans the chance to witness—in person—a moment they “deserve.” That wish has been granted.

Clark and No. 4 Iowa return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday against Michigan (16-9) for what is set up to be a very memorable night in Iowa City. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on Peacock. To stream the game, Peacock said to download the app (with a subscription), navigate to the sports section, look for Big Ten basketball and when game time approaches, Iowa will be there to select.

Any fans still hoping to find a seat for the game may be disappointed, or should at least be prepared to pay a high price. Tickets for this game have been sold out for months, per KCCI in Des Moines, though some are available on secondary markets.

At TickPick as of Tuesday morning, the cheapest ticket for Thursday night’s game was $440, with others soaring above $2,000. Similarly, on SeatGeek, tickets ranged from $184 to roughly $1,800, excluding fees. On TicketMaster, the least-expensive seat was marked at $397, with others as high as $1,549.

Bluder said previously that the game will not stop once Clark breaks the record, but celebrations of some sort are planned. Iowa’s website encourages fans to bring their “best black and gold for a record-breaking celebration.”

How Many Points Does Clark Need?

Clark needs just seven points to tie Plum’s record, and eight to break it, going into Thursday night at Carver. For reference, the All-American has never failed to score at least eight points in her college career, per Sports Reference. Clark’s lowest-scoring game at Iowa came when she tallied eight points as a freshman.

That’s the only time Clark has failed to reach double-digits in a collegiate game. The defending national runner-up’s lowest scoring output this season is 21 points.

NCAA Women’s Basketball All-Time Scoring List

Clark has been climbing the scoring leaderboard all season long—most recently passing former Ohio State standout Kelsey Mitchell to become the Big Ten’s career points leader—and soon enough, she will find her spot at the top.

Here’s how the top 10 looks heading into Thursday night.

1. Kelsey Plum, Washington (2013-17) — 3,527
2. Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2020-present) — 3,520
3. Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State (2014-18) — 3,402
4. Jackie Stiles, Missouri State (1997-2001) — 3,393
5. Brittney Griner, Baylor (2009-13) — 3,283
6. Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo/Syracuse (2019-present) — 3,213
7. Patricia Hoskins, Mississippi Valley State (1985-89) — 3,122
8. Lorri Bauman, Drake (1980-84) — 3,115
9. Jerica Coley, Florida International (2010-14) — 3,107
10. Rachel Banham, Minnesota (2011-16) — 3,093

Once Clark passes Plum, though, the scoring race is far from over. Next up will be catching former men’s players Pete Maravich (3,667 points) and Antoine Davis (3,664) to become the all-time scoring leader across college basketball history—men’s or women’s.

Kelsey Plum’s Stats vs. Clark’s

Plum has held onto her scoring record longer than she expected. The two-time WNBA champion congratulated Clark on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday for passing the mark, saying, “I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love. See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later.” Spoke a bit too soon.

“My bad next game,” Plum later posted with a laughing emoji.

Clearly, there is plenty of mutual respect in this passing-of-the-torch moment between two all-time greats. And since the two have become so intertwined during this scoring chase, what did their paths look like during their respective quests for the all-time title?

Plum scored 3,527 points across 139 games over four college seasons. The former Washington star averaged 25.4 points per game and shot 44.3 percent from the field (38.2 percent from beyond the arc), while also posting 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals a contest.

Clark—a fourth-year senior—seems likely to pass the points record in her 126th college game, according to Sports Reference. The reigning National Player of the Year has a 28.2 career scoring average, shoots 46.7 percent from the floor (and 38.1 percent from 3-point range) and fills the statsheet with 7.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.5 steals per night.

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