Caitlin Clark tracker: Iowa star on pace for points record after another 40-point game

Caitlin Clark is more than the best passer in college basketball and a logo-shooting supernova: She’s about to become the best scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, and maybe NCAA history.

Clark, a senior All-American who led Iowa to the national championship game in April, is on pace to top Kelsey Plum’s scoring record (3,527), set in 2017. Perhaps more impressively, she could also top the men’s scoring record, set by Pete Maravich in 1970 (3,667 points), back before the 3-point line existed.

Clark started the 2023-24 season with 2,717 career points, and through 15 games she's averaging 31.5 points per game. Given that she’s never averaged less than 26.6 per season, she’ll likely break Plum’s record toward the end of February (provided she stays healthy). Then again, this is a player who has a history of 40-point performances, so it could happen sooner.

Should Clark return for a fifth year – because of COVID she has one extra season of eligibility if she wants it – she would undoubtedly shatter both records.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score in Iowa's last game?

at Purdue, Jan. 10: Clark recorded the 15th triple-double of her career, scoring 26 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out 10 assists. Her stuffing of the stat sheet helped No. 3 Iowa to a 96-71 win over Purdue, improving the Hawkeyes’ record to 16-1 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten play.

How many career points does Caitlin Clark have?

Caitlin Clark has 3,215 career points (and counting!) after her 26-point performance at Purdue.

Points shy of breaking Plum’s record: 313

Points shy of breaking Maravich’s record: 453

When does Caitlin Clark, Iowa women's basketball play again?

Clark and the Hawkeyes will be back in action Saturday, when they host No. 13 Indiana. Tip is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX. As a reminder, the last time Indiana came to Iowa, Clark did this:

Caitlin Clark game-by-game points in 2023-24

Here's a breakdown of Clark's scoring this season for the Hawkeyes:

• at Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 points

• vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 points

• vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 points

• vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 points

• vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 points

• at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 points

• vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 points

• vs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 points

• vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 points

• vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 points

• vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 points

• vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 points

• vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 points

• at UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 points

• vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 points

• vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 points

Caitlin Clark scores 3,000 points

On Dec. 6, Clark crossed the 3,000-point milestone with 6:10 to play in the third quarter vs. Iowa State, fittingly, on a deep 3, becoming just the 15th player in the NCAA era to do so. (Former Iowa State All-American Ashley Joens was the most recent player to hit that mark, scoring 3,060 points from 2018-2023.) Clark is the first college player, men's or women's, to tally 3,000 points, 800 rebounds and 900 assists.

How many points does Caitlin Clark average per game?

Through 15 games in the 2023-24 season, Clark is averaging 31.0 points. Over her career, she's averaged 27.7 points.

One of the most impressive parts of Clark's game is that she's averaged more points each season. Here's how it breaks down:

• Freshman year: 26.6 points

• Sophomore year: 27.0 points

• Junior year: 27.8 points

• Senior year: 31.5 points

Can Caitlin Clark break the scoring record?

Absolutely. The real question is, can Clark break both scoring records? Former Washington All-American Plum, now a WNBA All-Star with the Las Vegas Aces, holds the Division I women's record with 3,527 points. Pete Maravich holds the Division I men's record with 3,667. Depending on how deep Iowa plays into the postseason, both of those records are within reach for Clark.

What is Caitlin Clark’s shooting percentage?

In a word: impressive. Clark is currently connecting on 46.9% of her shots and 40.2% from 3-point range, eye-popping when you consider the attention she demands from defenses. Her ability to score consistently from long-range is especially impressive considering that, according to ESPN, 68% of the 3s she takes are from 25 feet or deeper (the college 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches).

What is Caitlin Clark's highest-scoring game?

Clark's highest-scoring game came early in the 2023-24 season, when she hung 44 points on Virginia Tech, another 2023 Final Four participant. Clark shot 13-for-31 that game, including 5-for-16 from 3. She also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out six assists in the 80-76 win.

Is Caitlin Clark a senior?

Caitlin Clark is indeed a senior — but she's got another year of eligibility left if she wants it.

Clark is part of the last "COVID class" in the NCAA, where athletes who played in the 2020-2021 season, Clark's freshman year, were awarded a fifth year of eligibility because of how wonky the pandemic made college sports. Schools are inconsistent in how they notate this on their websites: Clark is listed as a senior on Iowa's roster, whereas Angel Reese, who is the same recruiting class as Clark, is listed as a junior on LSU's roster.

Should she decide to go pro after this season, Clark is projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark scoring tracker: Iowa star on pace for points record