The Caitlin Clark show
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Caitlin Clark is ridiculous.
Driving the news: The National Player of the Year favorite exploded for 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds on Sunday as Iowa beat Ohio State, 105-72, to win its second straight Big Ten Tournament title.
- It was the 10th triple-double of Clark's career, the third-most in Division I history among both men and women.
- She's the only player over the last 20 seasons (man or woman) with 25 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a game, per ESPN. And she's now done it twice.
By the numbers: Eye-popping stat lines have become routine for Clark, who's been filling up box scores with shocking consistency since arriving at Iowa.
- Freshman: 26.6 pts, 5.9 reb, 7.0 ast
- Sophomore: 27.0 pts, 8.0 reb, 8.0 ast
- Junior: 27.0 pts, 7.5 reb, 8.3 ast
The big picture: Women's college basketball has had its fair share of superstars, but few — if any — have transcended the sport like Clark does.
- Her Steph Curry-like range and elite passing skills are tailor-made for social media, helping her highlight reels routinely go viral.
- Her scoring outbursts and triple-doubles keep her name in the news, ensuring that even people who aren't fans of her sport know her name.
- With Iowa all but locking up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Clark will have a chance to become an even bigger name nationally as the Hawkeyes chase their first national title.
Looking ahead: Clark will return to Iowa next year — and says she may even come back for her extra COVID year. If that happens, the all-time women's D-I scoring mark would likely be hers for the taking.
- Kelsey Plum, the current record holder (3,527 points), averaged 25.4 ppg in 139 games at Washington.
- Clark has averaged 26.9 ppg in 94 games at Iowa.
The bottom line: Caitlin Clark is one of the most recognizable basketball players in America, regardless of gender or age. And her career has only just begun.
