Angel Reese and Shaq, Caitlin Clark and more senior day highlights across NCAA women's hoops

As we close the 2024 regular season for women's college basketball, we've been anything but disappointed. And we for sure got a thrilling final weekend packed with good hoops and big news across the NCAA.

Here is a breakdown of the top highlights from senior day and the weekend.

Caitlin Clark makes history ... again

Not only was it a big matchup as No. 2 Ohio State traveled to Iowa City to take on No. 6 Iowa and phenom Caitlin Clark, but Clark went into the game needed 18 points to pass Pete Maravich's all-time scoring record in the NCAA, for men or women.

During the pre-game before her senior day at Iowa, Clark was surprised by WNBA legend Maya Moore, who was Clark's idol growing up.

With Moore in the stands watching, Clark made history, scoring 35 points in her final regular season home game and becoming the NCAA's all-time scoring leader off of two free throws as Iowa blew by Ohio State with a 93-83 victory.

Clark is the best offensive player we have seen in women's college basketball, maybe ever. This season, she has made 88 shots from 25 feet or beyond. As she enters her last Big Ten and March Madness Tournament, she is also sixth in career assists. No other player is in the top 25 for both categories.

Shaquille O'Neal escorted Angel Reese for her senior day ceremony

LSU Tigers star Angel Reese was acknowledged during her senior day on Sunday with a Tiger legend by her side, Shaquille O'Neal.

Reese and O'Neal have created a special bond over the last year as she became one of the most impactful female athletes in the country.

Reese told USA Today earlier this season that she considers him not just a mentor, but a "father figure."

"It's been great. Who's better than a person like Shaq?" Reese said postgame when asked about O'Neal becoming her support system. "He's really smart, not just on the basketball court, but just in life. He has his doctorate, so he's educated, being a lot of things outside of basketball. Being able to have somebody like that has been a great inspiration for me. And of course enjoying the moment like this with him and the rest of my family was fun tonight."

The "Bayou Barbie" balled out on her senior night putting him 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks along with a 21-point win for the No. 9 Tigers over Kentucky.

Reese has been averaging 19.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game this season building another strong case for SEC Player of the Year.

While Reese did walk for senior night, she revealed in a press conference that she would not reveal her decision about a fifth year until after the last game of the season. Both Reese and senior teammate Hailey Van Lith are eligible to return to college for a fifth year due to the waiver athletes received during the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Carolina completes its second straight undefeated regular season

No. 1 South Carolina is the first team to enter the SEC tournament repeatedly undefeated.

Seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao excelled on their senior day as the Gamecocks won their 47th consecutive SEC regular-season game, over Tennessee.

Paopao had 14 points on the special night.

Cardoso scored 18 points as she played in front of her mother and sister after arriving from Brazil. Coach Dawn Staley arranged their trip by getting visas approved for her family to watch her last regular season game. Cardoso finished with their 13th double-double this season.

"This is an incredible moment for all of us," Staley said Saturday, per ESPN, "for someone who has made incredible sacrifices for her family for the past eight years.

Big names suffering injuries

This weekend wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for all teams, as some key players went down with injuries on the final day of the regular season.

Elizabeth Kitley — Left knee

The two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley exited the game during No. 5 Virginia Tech's loss at Virginia 80-75. The Hokies ACC tournament and March Madness hopes took a big blow after Kitley went down.

She appeared to suffer a noncontact left knee injury in the third quarter. As the Hokies were down with six minutes left in the third, Kitley went up for a transition layup and was fouled. She hit the floor after making the shot but was slow to get up while appearing to grab her left knee.

After she went into the locker room and was eventually escorted to the bench alongside medical personnel where she did not return for the rest of the game. Cameras caught Kitley watching the game with tears in her eyes for a moment.

Head coach Kenny Brooks was speaking through tears during Virginia Tech's postgame presser. Out of respect for Kitley's privacy, he didn't reveal the nature of Kitley's injury. However, he did say that the Hokies are "praying for her."

This season, Kitley has scored at least 20 points in 17 games, averaging 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Without Kitley on the floor, the Hokies could struggle to advance far in the postseason.

Mackenzie Holmes — Left knee

Although the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers finished the season 14-0 at Assembly Hall, All-American senior Mackenzie Holmes left the game with a left knee injury in the third quarter with a Maryland defender sliding in front of her. Holmes was hopping on one foot after realizing she was hurt.

To add to the big blow for the Hoosiers, backup center Lilly Meister also left the game later with an ankle injury. The Hoosiers still had a dominant game against the Terrapins with a 71-54 win but concern is still in the air.

Holmes broke the team's career scoring record earlier this season and is Indiana's leading scorer and rebounder with 20.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. However, it is worth noting that Holmes has previously missed time or been limited during the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to injuries in the same knee.

"She certainly has had some bad luck, especially in late February," Coach Teri Moren said, per ESPN. "We're going to be hopeful and optimistic that it'll turn out the way that we want it to. Mack is a very, very resilient, tough kid, as we know."

While Holmes does play a big part in the success of the Hoosiers, they have other key players who can look to still keep the postseason hopes alive if Holmes doesn't find her way back on the floor.

Both Holmes and Miester will be evaluated in hopes that they will be available for the Big Ten Tournament this weekend.

Molly Davis — Right knee

The fifth-year senior Molly Davis was carried off the floor with a manager on each side, giving a thumbs-up with each hand to assure Hawkeye fans that she would be all right.

Davis went down in the second quarter of Iowa's victory after the Buckeyes inbounded and Davis went for a steal when her knee buckled. When Davis returned she was in a wheelchair and her right leg was bandaged.

She was pushed in a wheelchair to midcourt for the postgame senior day ceremony with a big smile on her face.

It's likely that Davis will miss some time. This season she has taken the role of a starter in the Iowa backcourt starting 27 of the 30 games this year, averaging 6.1 points and 2.6 rebounds. In addition this season she has also dished out 93 assists while shooting 85.7 percent from the foul line.

With Davis on the sideline, the young guards on the bench will have more playing time to shine and give Iowa more size and rebounding going into the postseason.