Caitlin Clark sets 2 new records in first quarter of national championship
Mar 3, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) in action against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Caitlin Clark came out firing in the NCAA women’s national championship game on Sunday.
Clark was on fire early on in Iowa’s game against South Carolina at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The senior dropped 18 points in the first quarter, which was a record for a single quarter in an NCAA women’s basketball title game.
By scoring 18 points in the first 10 minutes, Clark also passed Chamique Holdsclaw for the most points in women’s NCAA Tournament history.
With 18 points in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark is now the the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Tournament history, passing Chamique Holdsclaw's record of 479 points.
Remarkable.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash) pic.twitter.com/OZ1ZgIpLcw
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) April 7, 2024
Clark went 3/4 from three-point range in the opening quarter. One of the three-pointers came from more than 30 feet out. Clark was practically standing on the midcourt logo when she put up the shot.
CAITLIN CLARK FROM DEEP 😳🎯 pic.twitter.com/0UCOa33fSZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 7, 2024
Sunday’s game was the final one of Clark’s collegiate career, so you know she was motivated to play well. She could not have gotten off to a better start.