Caitlin Clark centered on Iowa success, not NCAA scoring file

Caitlin Clark has by no means scored fewer than eight factors in a recreation throughout her Iowa profession, and that is all she wants to interrupt the NCAA ladies’s basketball scoring file. And Iowa followers who’ve been filling Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment to capability all season will achieve this once more Thursday, this time anticipating a historic second for the most effective participant in program historical past.

Anybody who would not have a ticket already should be ready to shell out massive bucks. The typical worth on the secondary marketplace for a ticket to Thursday’s Michigan-Iowa contest is sort of $400.

“I am excited. It will be a really particular night time,” Clark mentioned in a information convention. “I am not anxious about it in any respect. We’ve not actually talked loads about it as a group. It is simply go on the market and play basketball and have enjoyable, and that is type of what comes together with it.”

Clark has scored in single digits solely as soon as at Iowa. She had eight factors and fouled out of a 77-67 loss at Northwestern on Jan. 9, 2021, when she was a freshman. It was the tenth recreation of her school profession. Since then, 15 is her lowest level whole in a recreation.

Clark has mentioned all alongside that the file will come every time it comes. She appreciates the importance, however she has stored the concentrate on her group and being a senior chief since her first preseason information convention in October.

“I perceive the magnitude of this,” Clark mentioned of the file. “However I feel it is simply type of come together with how my 4 years have gone. I am simply actually grateful and grateful.”

Getting No. 4 Iowa (22-3) again on monitor is the extra urgent situation. The Hawkeyes headed into the fourth quarter of Sunday’s recreation at Nebraska with a 14-point lead however left with a disappointing 82-79 loss.

In keeping with ESPN Stats & Data, groups ranked within the prime 25 of the AP ballot that entered the fourth quarter with no less than a 14-point lead had not misplaced this season — they had been 296-0 — till Iowa fell to the Huskers. In ESPN’s Bracketology, the loss bumped Iowa from a projected No. 1 seed to a 2-seed for the NCAA match.

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Clark had 31 factors, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals Sunday in opposition to Nebraska, her fifteenth consecutive recreation with no less than 25 factors and thirty fourth in a row with no less than 20. But it surely was the primary time in Clark’s collegiate profession that she has performed a whole fourth quarter with out scoring.

Clark shrugged off questions on being ailing Sunday, though she sounded congested as she spoke. Teammate Molly Davis has been sick sufficient that she has missed a lot of the previous two video games.

However Clark was involved about Iowa’s failure to execute effectively in opposition to Nebraska’s defensive changes — and giving up a double-digit lead. She mentioned she can be extra centered on the group getting off to a very good begin Thursday than with anything.

This might be Clark’s closing February in an Iowa uniform, or she might return for a fifth season due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver. Clark has mentioned she is going to wait till the season ends to make the choice on whether or not to declare for the WNBA draft. Iowa nonetheless has an opportunity to win the Massive Ten regular-season title, plus go for its third consecutive Massive Ten match championship after which attempt to take one other run on the Remaining 4.

“I am someone who has actually massive desires, objectives and aspirations,” Clark mentioned. “I dreamed of doing actually massive issues, enjoying in entrance of huge crowds, going to the Remaining 4. I simply go about my enterprise as I did after I was a freshman. Positive, my life’s type of modified considerably. I simply attempt to have enjoyable and revel in each single day.”