Caitlin Clark’s final day marks another Iowa milestone as she surpasses Pistol Pete’s record

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Standing in front of every seat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday was a similar story. Caitlin Clark, the most transcendent figure in modern sports, once again brought out the stars and fans.

In her final regular season game in the state she calls home, Clark scored 35 points, surpassing “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s career total and becoming the most prolific scorer in Division I basketball history, men’s or women’s.

Clark’s moment was shared by everyone in attendance, from the fans dressed in her T-shirts to the celebrities who spiced up the spectacle. Rapper Travis Scott danced on the track with the Iowa cheerleaders. Commercial actor “Jake from State Farm” wore a Kristin Juszczyk-designed Clark vest, and Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan took in the scene near the floor.

Clark’s childhood hero and former Lynx great Maya Moore congratulated her protégé after the game. Iowa brought former Kansas star Lynette Woodard – who set the AIAW women’s basketball record – to a standing ovation. ESPN broadcaster Holly Rowe performed at the senior day ceremony. College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Robert Gallery wore a Clark No. 22 jersey. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks sat unfavorably ten rows behind the Iowa bench and wore a Clark T-shirt.

It’s 8:30 in the morning, but the stars are visible in Iowa City. @MooreMaya X @CaitlinClark22 #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/0tc7xzLeTm

— Iowa women’s basketball (@IowaWBB) March 3, 2024

Those names and faces made the event a spectacle. The fans had a party. Everyone wanted a piece of Clark, and she was more than happy to share herself in that moment.

“You just feel the energy, the joy and the excitement that our team plays with, and it’s contagious,” Clark said. “Our fans give us that energy, but we give it right back to them.”

Clark passed Maravich’s record with 0.3 seconds left in the first half. Instead of sending a long-range 3-pointer — as she had done with previous record-breaking buckets — Clark sank two free throws on a technical foul to top Maravich’s mark, which he set at LSU in 1970. She needed just 18 points against Ohio State passing Maravich, her latest milestone after setting the all-time NCAA women’s scoring record.

“Honestly, I didn’t really care,” Clark said. “It was cool to hear everyone start screaming. I thought that gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime.”

More importantly for Clark, the No. 6 Hawkeyes defeated No. 2 Ohio State 93-83 to split their season series.

Fans, young and old, local and from over 1,000 miles away, came to catch one of the last glimpses of Clark playing at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Hayden Kinnick Zacher, 11, came from Colorado to watch her. He squeezed through the chaos on the field with hundreds of other young people to pick up a signed Caitlin Clark jersey. He succeeded. Georgia teenagers Pierce Moore and Ellie Hargrove, both 14, who came to the game as a birthday gift for Moore, proudly displayed their homemade signs. One read: ‘The gun taught me to dribble. Caitlin taught me to dream.”

These Georgia fans came to watch Clark play in her final home game of the regular season at Iowa. (Scott Dochterman / The Athletics)

Phyllis Opperman, a retired former Iowa resident, left her winter home in Panama City Beach, Florida, holding a sign announcing her 1,000-mile ride that began Thursday. She laughed and said the trip was 1,028 miles, but enjoyed including the 22 as part of her plate.

Welcome to the Caitlin Clark Experience, which is nearing its black-and-gold conclusion as Clark will enter the WNBA Draft in April, where she is the presumptive No. 1 selection. Of Iowa’s 32 regular season games this year, 30 have sold out, breaking several arena attendance records. Next weekend, the second-seeded Hawkeyes will play in the Big Ten tournament, which sold out for the first time — 12 days in advance. Iowa will likely host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, which means another sellout or two.

To get into Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, resale tickets started at $451. ESPN’s “College GameDay” aired live before tipoff, Fox broadcast the game and 275 credentialed media members were in attendance. The arena was half full and packed three hours before tip-off before lineups began. The crowd’s roar consistently exceeded 100 decibels on almost every possession of the game. Four times it peaked at 116 decibels.

Clark’s fandom may be peaking nationally, but in Iowa City the faithful knew almost since she arrived on campus in 2020 that they were in for four years of fun. She scored 27 points in her college debut, recorded the NCAA tournament’s only 40-point triple-double and set program records with 49 points in a game while leading Iowa to two Big Ten tournament titles and a national championship last season.

Since February, she has risen in the rankings, passing Kelsey Plum for the first time on February 15 to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball. Last week, she surpassed Woodard’s AIAW record among large schools. After meeting Maravich’s total, she has 3,685 career points and is at the pinnacle of college basketball majors.

Nowhere is Clark’s stardom more evident than when she walks off the floor. Knowing it was her last game of the regular season, Clark met hundreds of youth at the Iowa bank and signed posters, shoes, jerseys and even a stuffed animal. Every second there is a high-pitched “Caitlin!” shouted from near the tunnel.

With four guards holding her back from anyone who was too ambitious, Clark signed on for almost twenty minutes. This started 45 minutes into the game on the Iowa bench. It ended right in front of the locker room.

When it comes to Clark, it’s not all about the points, the logo 3s, the on-court assists or the shrugs. It’s about how she makes fans feel in her presence. About a month ago, 9-year-old Penelope Pearson of North Liberty, Iowa, sat courtside for the Iowa-Nebraska game. Pearson’s Christmas present in December was a ticket to watch Clark. A week before the holidays, Pearson was diagnosed with leukemia and was unable to attend.

The day before Iowa-Nebraska, on January 27, Penelope received chemotherapy treatment. Then her mother, Liz, got a call from someone who could provide tickets. Penelope wanted to go despite her weakened condition. “She’s the strongest kid I know,” Liz Pearson said. Penelope dyed her hair pink and sat next to the court. Clark, alerted to her presence, called in security as soon as the game ended, pointed to Penelope and pulled the family to the floor for an autograph, a hug and a conversation.

“It was just an inspiration to see these strong women. And Penelope knows she can do just about anything as long as she has these people to look up to,” Liz Pearson said as she broke down in tears.

Clark’s impact also transcends gender. Two hours after Clark left the stage, the West Burlington (Iowa) High boys basketball team held practice at Carver-Hawkeye ahead of the state tournament. The boys took turns launching three-pointers from Clark’s marker, from where they broke Plum’s NCAA record. That spot is 10 meters from the basket. Of their repeated attempts – too many to count – more balls hit the ground than pulled iron. But every three-pointer from Clark’s depth led to high-fives.

From the “College GameDay” lineup to the Falcons shooting from the logo ten hours later, Clark reminded everyone why she’s one of the ones. She is Teflon against pressure and expectations and proves it on the field. She is more than generous with her time. Whether it’s a millionaire rapper, a little girl with cancer or a grandmother who has had tickets for 30 years, Clark treats everyone with kindness and a flash of her megawatt smile.

“I’m so happy for Caitlin,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I think she represents the university, our sport. … She’s such a good ambassador. And I am very grateful for that.”

(Top photo: Matthew Holst/Getty Images)