How many points does Caitlin Clark need to pass Kelsey Plum?
Caitlin Clark of Iowa is closing fast on the career scoring record in women's college basketball of 3,527 points, which Washington alum Kelsey Plum currently holds.
Clark has 3,424 points and is on a steady pace to break Plum's record when the Hawkeyes take on Michigan on Feb. 15 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
On Jan. 31, Clark put up 35 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in a 110-74 win over Northwestern to put her at No. 2 among all-time scorers.
Not only did she move up to No. 2 on the NCAA all-time list, but she also broke the Big Ten scoring record. After notching her 14th point Wednesday night, she passed Kelsey Mitchell (3,402) for the Big Ten career scoring record. She also passed Jackie Stiles (3,393) on the all-time list the same night.
This season alone, Clark is averaging 32.1 points a game. But she only needs 104 points to snatch the record. She's already swept by women's basketball legends such as Jackie Stiles, Kelsey Mitchell, and Brittney Griner, which leaves her starstruck.
"I think the coolest thing is just the names that I get to be around," Clark said after passing Mitchell, per The Guardian. "Those are people that I grew up watching, especially Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Mitchell. Those are really, really great players."
Clark has only been limited to single digits in a game once in her college career. That was when she scored eight points in a loss at Northwestern on Jan. 9, 2021.
Not only is she on track to become the top scorer in women's college basketball history, but she is also on track to become the first player in D-1 history in men or women to have 3,000 points and 1,000 assists in her career. She is chasing multiple records in a historic season and career.
The senior guard is the projected No. 1 pick for this year's WNBA draft. That pick is held by the Indiana Fever, who took 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston last year with the No. 1 pick. Last year, Clark was not eligible to enter the WNBA draft because she was still only a junior.
However, after her senior season ends this year, she can use an extra year of eligibility due to the 2020 pandemic-shortened season. If she uses this option and returns to Iowa, she will undoubtedly pass Plum's scoring record, if she's hasn't gotten there yet.