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Caitlin Clark

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This article is about the basketball player. For the actress, see Caitlin Clarke.

Caitlin Clark
Clark guarding a Penn State player during a game in 2023.
No. 22 – Iowa Hawkeyes
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2002-01-22) January 22, 2002 (age 22)
Des Moines, Iowa, U. S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight155 lb (70 kg)
Career information
High schoolDowling Catholic
(West Des Moines, Iowa)
CollegeIowa (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2021 Hungary Team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Thailand Team
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2017 Argentina Team

Caitlin Clark (born January 22, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference. She plays point guard.

At Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, Clark was among the top recruits in her class and named a McDonald's All-American. In her first season at Iowa, she led the NCAA Division I in scoring, shared national freshman of the year honors and was an All-American. As a sophomore, Clark was a unanimous first-team All-American and became the first women's player to lead the Division I in points and assists in a single season. She has won the Dawn Staley Award two times and the Nancy Lieberman Award one time as the top Division I player at her position.

Clark has won three gold medals representing the United States at the youth international level. She was named Most Valuable Player of the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup.

Early life

Clark was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Anne Nizzi-Clark and Brent Clark.[1] Her mother is of Italian descent.[2] Clark's father played basketball and baseball at Simpson College.[3] She was raised in West Des Moines, Iowa, with an older brother, Blake, now a college football player at Iowa State; and a younger brother, Colin.[2] Clark started playing basketball at age five and was the only girl on a boys youth team.[1][4] She also played softball, volleyball, soccer and tennis as a child before focusing on basketball.[2]

In sixth grade, Clark joined All Iowa Attack, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball program based in Ames, Iowa, for whom she played until graduating from high school.[2][5] She played against older opponents, facing high school seniors by eighth grade.[6] Clark drew inspiration from Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx, the closest WNBA team to her hometown, and traveled with her father for 3 1⁄2 hours to see their games.[7] She also looked up to her cousins, Haley and Audrey Faber, who played for Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines,[2] and All Iowa Attack alumus Harrison Barnes.[5]

High school career

Clark played four years of varsity basketball for Dowling Catholic High School under head coach Kristin Meyer. As a freshman, she averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game, earning Class 5A All-State second team accolades and leading her team to the state quarterfinals.[8] In her sophomore season, Clark averaged 27.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, four assists and 2.3 steals, helping Dowling Catholic achieve a 20–4 record and return to the state quarterfinals.[1] She ranked second in the state in scoring and was named to the Class 5A All-State first team.[9][10]

As a junior, on February 4, 2019, Clark scored 60 points in a 90–78 win against Mason City High School, the second-best scoring output in Iowa five-on-five history. During the game, she broke the state single-game record with 13 three-pointers.[11] Clark finished the season averaging a state-best 32.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.[9][12] She led Dowling Catholic to the state semifinals as the team finished with a 17–8 record.[13] Clark was named Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year and repeated as a Class 5A All-State first team selection.[12][14] As a senior, she averaged 33.4 points, eight rebounds, four assists and 2.7 steals per game,[15] leading the state in scoring for a second time. Her team finished with a 19–4 record and reached the Class 5A regional final, where they were upset by Sioux City East High School. Clark finished her career with 2,547 points, the fourth-most in Iowa five-on-five history.[16] She was awarded Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year,[15] Des Moines Register All-Iowa Athlete of the Year,[17] and Iowa Miss Basketball, while making the Class 5A All-State first team.[18] Clark was selected to compete in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic,[19][20] but both games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]

During high school, Clark was AAU teammates with future Iowa State players Ashley and Aubrey Joens on the All Iowa Attack.[22] She helped the team win the 2018 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League championship,[23] and achieve runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2019.[24] In her first two years at Dowling Catholic, Clark started on the school's varsity soccer team, but focused on basketball for her final two years.[17]

Recruiting

Clark was recruited by NCAA Division I basketball programs before starting high school, receiving her first letter of interest from Missouri State before seventh grade.[5][25] By her sophomore season at Dowling Catholic, she was ranked the number one player in the 2020 high school class by ESPN.[26] At the end of her high school career, Clark was considered a five-star recruit and the fourth-best player in her class by ESPN.[27] On November 12, 2019, she announced her commitment to play college basketball for Iowa over offers from Iowa State and Notre Dame.[28] Clark was drawn to the team's up-tempo style of offense and head coach Lisa Bluder's development of point guards. She also expected to immediately have a key role on the team with the departure of Kathleen Doyle, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year.[4]

College career

Freshman season

Clark entered her freshman season as Iowa's starting point guard.[29] On November 25, 2020, she made her collegiate debut, recording 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a 96–81 win over Northern Iowa.[30] In her second game, on December 2, Clark posted her first double-double with 30 points and 13 assists in a 103–97 victory over Drake.[31] On December 22, in a 92–65 victory over Western Illinois, she registered the first triple-double by an Iowa player since Samantha Logic did so in 2015. Despite shooting 3-of-15 from the field, Clark had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists during the game.[32] On January 6, 2021, she recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a 92–79 win against Minnesota.[33] Clark posted a season-high 39 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in an 88–81 win over Nebraska on February 11,[34] breaking the single-game scoring record for Pinnacle Bank Arena, the home venue of Nebraska.[35] On February 28, she scored 18 points and had a season-high 14 assists in an 84–70 win over Wisconsin.[36] At the end of the regular season, Clark was a unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten selection. She was a 13-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, setting a conference record, and led the Big Ten with five Player of the Week awards.[37]

Clark helped Iowa achieve a runner-up finish at the Big Ten tournament, where she was named to the all-tournament team and recorded 37 assists, the most in the event's history.[38] In the second round of the NCAA tournament, she posted 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists in an 86–72 win over Kentucky. She broke program single-game records for points and three-pointers (6) in the tournament.[39] Iowa reached the Sweet 16, where Clark scored 21 points in a 92–72 loss to first-seeded UConn.[40] She was named a first-team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), a second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP) and made the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches' All-America team.[41] Clark became the first freshman to win the Dawn Staley Award, which honors the best Division I guard.[42] She shared two major Division I freshman of the year awards with Paige Bueckers of UConn: the Tamika Catchings Award, presented by the USBWA,[43] and the WBCA Freshman of the Year award.[44] As a freshman, Clark averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. She led the NCAA Division I in scoring and ranked second in assists and three-pointers per game. Her totals in points, assists, field goals and three-pointers also led the Division I. She set program freshman records for points and assists and had the fourth-highest scoring average in Iowa history.[42]

Sophomore season

Clark during her 46-point game against Michigan in 2022

On November 9, 2021, Clark made her sophomore season debut, recording 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 93–50 win over New Hampshire.[45] On January 2, 2022, she posted 44 points and eight assists in a 93–56 win over Evansville. Clark broke the Carver-Hawkeye Arena women's single-game scoring record and surpassed Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State as the fastest Big Ten player to reach 1,000 career points.[46] On January 16, 2022, she recorded her fourth career triple-double, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 93–83 victory over Nebraska.[47] In her next game, four days later, Clark posted 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a 105–49 win over Minnesota. She became the first Division I men's or women's player to record consecutive triple-doubles with at least 30 points, and the first women's player in Big Ten history with consecutive triple-doubles.[48] On January 25, Clark had 18 assists, which set program and conference single-game records, in addition to 20 points and seven rebounds in a 107–79 win against Penn State.[24][49] On January 31, she recorded 43 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a 92–88 loss to Ohio State.[50] On February 6, Clark scored a career-high 46 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter, and had 10 assists in a 98–90 loss to Michigan.[51] She set the women's single-game scoring record for Crisler Center, the home arena of Michigan.[52] After leading Iowa to a share of the Big Ten regular season title, she was unanimously named Big Ten Player of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten by the league's coaches and media.[53][54]

On March 5, 2022, in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, Clark recorded 41 points and nine rebounds in an 83–66 win over Nebraska.[55] She led Iowa to the title and was named tournament most outstanding player (MOP).[53] Her team was upset by 10th-seeded Creighton in the second round of the NCAA tournament, where Clark was held to a season-low 15 points and 11 assists, shooting 4-of-19 from the field, in a 64–62 loss.[56] She was a unanimous first-team All-American: she earned first-team All-American honors from the AP and the USBWA, and was a WBCA Coaches' All-America Team selection.[57] Clark became the first back-to-back recipient of the Dawn Staley Award and won the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top Division I point guard.[58] As a sophomore, she averaged 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. Clark was the first women's player to lead the Division I in points and assists per game in a single season. She also led the Division I in total points, free throws and triple-doubles.[24] Clark was named a first-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America, since renamed College Sports Communicators (CSC).[59]

Junior season

Clark with Iowa in 2023

Before her junior season, Clark was signed to a name, image, and likeness deal with Iowa's athletic supplier, Nike.[60] She was also a unanimous selection for the AP's preseason All-America team,[61] and was the choice of both Big Ten coaches and conference media as the conference's preseason player of the year.[62] After leading the Big Ten in scoring and Division I in assists during the 2022–23 regular season, Clark was again named Big Ten player of the year by both coaches and media.[63] Clark repeated as an AP[64] and USBWA[65] first-team All-American, with the AP selection being unanimous, and was named by CSC as its 2023 Academic All-American of the Year.[66]

College

Legend
Led Division I
Bold Career best
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2020–21 Iowa 30 30 34.0 .472 .406 .858 5.9 7.0 1.3 .5 4.8 26.6
2021–22 Iowa 32 32 35.9 .452 .332 .881 8.0 8.0 1.5 .6 4.8 27.0

National team career

Clark represented the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She came off the bench and averaged 8.8 points per game, helping her team achieve a 5–0 record and win the gold medal.[67] Clark played at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. In seven games, she averaged 5.3 points per game and won another gold medal, as her team finished with a 7–0 record.[68] Clark competed at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary and led the United States to the gold medal. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, was named Most Valuable Player and made the All-Tournament Team.[69]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Caitlin Clark". USA Basketball. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Leistikow, Chad (February 4, 2022). "How lifelong Iowan Caitlin Clark grew into a must-watch basketball star". Hawk Central. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Zagoria, Adam (February 27, 2022). "Caitlin Clark Is Piling Up Points and Records at Her Own (Fast) Pace". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Hensley, Adam (April 22, 2020). "Driven With Confidence: How Caitlin Clark Became A Hawkeye". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Peterson, Chloe (March 23, 2021). "'We knew that she was the special one': Caitlin Clark dominating in her first season with the Iowa women's basketball team". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  6. ^ Eisenberg, Jeff (March 10, 2022). "How Caitlin Clark became the most exciting player in college basketball". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Gay, Carlan (March 1, 2022). "Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark is using her spotlight to level the playing field in college athletics and inspire the next generation". Sporting News. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Villa, Walter (May 30, 2017). "After a measured approach to trials, recruit Caitlin Clark riding high with USA basketball". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Bain, Matthew (November 12, 2019). "Analysis: Caitlin Clark has a chance to be the face of Iowa women's basketball". Hawk Central. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  10. ^ "IPSWA announces 2018 girls basketball all-state teams". Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  11. ^ Goodwin, Cody (February 5, 2019). "Dowling Catholic's Caitlin Clark, one of the nation's top juniors, nearly tops Iowa state record with 60 points in win". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Dowling Catholic High School student-athlete named Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year" (PDF). Gatorade. March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  13. ^ Linder, Jeff (November 14, 2019). "For Caitlin Clark, bond with Iowa's staff, players was the difference". The Gazette. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "2019 IPSWA girls basketball all-state teams announced". Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Dowling Catholic High School student-athlete named Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year" (PDF). Gatorade. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  16. ^ Linder, Jeff (April 23, 2020). "Caitlin Clark ready to take the keys at point guard for Iowa women's basketball". The Gazette. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Bain, Matthew (June 18, 2020). "Dowling Catholic's Caitlin Clark named 2020 All-Iowa Girls' Athlete of the Year". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "2020 IPSWA girls basketball all-state teams announced; Clark named Miss Basketball". Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Bain, Matthew (January 23, 2020). "Dowling Catholic's Caitlin Clark, an Iowa recruit, named McDonald's All-American". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  20. ^ "2020 Girls National Team". Jordan Brand Classic. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  21. ^ Stephens, Mitch (March 21, 2020). "High school state tournaments, postseason showcases canceled, spring suspended amid coronavirus concerns". MaxPreps. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  22. ^ Merrill, Elizabeth (December 8, 2021). "Caitlin Clark, Ashley Joens and why Iowa-Iowa State knows no bounds". ESPN. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  23. ^ Lewis, Mark. "All Iowa Edges Cal Storm In EYBL Finale Thriller". BlueStar Media. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  24. ^ a b c "Caitlin Clark". University of Iowa Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  25. ^ Bain, Matthew (February 21, 2019). "'She's just Caitlin': Inside the national recruitment of Dowling's blue-chip guard Caitlin Clark". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  26. ^ Naughton, John (February 19, 2018). "Dowling's Caitlin Clark seeks a normal kid life while being sought by college elite". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  27. ^ "Caitlin Clark 2020 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  28. ^ Eisenberg, Matt (November 12, 2019). "Point guard Caitlin Clark commits to Iowa Hawkeyes". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  29. ^ Batterson, Steve (November 25, 2020). "College women's basketball: Clark ready for Hawkeye debut". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  30. ^ Southard, Dargan (November 25, 2020). "Iowa women's basketball: Caitlin Clark's riveting collegiate debut pushes Hawkeyes past Northern Iowa". Hawk Central. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  31. ^ Peterson, Chloe (December 2, 2020). "Clark downs Drake in homecoming game". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  32. ^ Goffin, Isaac (December 22, 2020). "Caitlin Clark records first career triple-double against Western Illinois". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  33. ^ "Clark pours in 37 points as Hawkeyes rally past Gophers". Quad-City Times. January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  34. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (February 12, 2021). "Iowa Hawkeyes freshman Caitlin Clark breaking through as a top scorer". ESPN. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  35. ^ Southard, Dargan (February 11, 2021). "Caitlin Clark pours in career-high 39 points as Hawkeyes topple Nebraska". Hawk Central. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  36. ^ "Iowa women's basketball beats Wisconsin for 24th-straight time". The Gazette. February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  37. ^ Southard, Dargan (March 8, 2021). "Iowa women's basketball: Caitlin Clark named Big Ten freshman of the year, misses out on POY". Hawk Central. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  38. ^ Linder, Jeff (March 13, 2021). "Monika Czinano, Caitlin Clark set Big Ten tournament records, earn all-tournament honors". The Gazette. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  39. ^ "Clark scores 35 for Iowa women in NCAA win over Kentucky". The Day. March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  40. ^ "Bueckers, UConn beat Clark, Iowa in women's Sweet 16". Associated Press. March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  41. ^ "Caitlin Clark named to AP Preseason All-American team". KCCI. October 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  42. ^ a b "Clark Earns Dawn Staley Award". University of Iowa Athletics. April 2, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  43. ^ "USBWA Names Tamika Catchings Award, Coach of the Year Winners" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  44. ^ "UConn's Bueckers, Iowa's Clark named 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Co-Freshmen of the Year presented by adidas". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  45. ^ Smith III, Kennington Lloyd (November 10, 2021). "A more confident Caitlin Clark? Iowa's superstar says she's even better this season". Hawk Central. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  46. ^ Linder, Jeff (January 2, 2022). "Caitlin Clark's 44-point outburst sets career, Carver records". The Gazette. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  47. ^ Peterson, Chloe (January 16, 2022). "Caitlin Clark notches triple-double in Iowa women's basketball's victory over Nebraska". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  48. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (January 21, 2022). "Iowa's Caitlin Clark makes basketball history with second straight 30-point triple-double". ESPN. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  49. ^ Peterson, Chloe (January 25, 2022). "Caitlin Clark sets assists record as Iowa women's basketball downs Penn State". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  50. ^ Hruby, Emma (February 1, 2022). "Caitlin Clark breaks more records with 43 points in Iowa loss". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  51. ^ Southard, Dargan (February 6, 2022). "Despite 46 points from Caitlin Clark, shorthanded Iowa women's basketball falls at Michigan". Hawk Central. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  52. ^ "Caitlin Clark B1G Player of Week". Sports Illustrated. February 7, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  53. ^ a b Peterson, Chloe (March 6, 2022). "Making history: Iowa women's basketball wins 2022 Big Ten regular season, tournament titles". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  54. ^ "Iowa's Caitlin Clark B1G Player of Year". Sports Illustrated. March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  55. ^ Peterson, Chloe (March 5, 2022). "Caitlin Clark dislodges Nebraska, leads Iowa women's basketball to Big Ten Tournament Championship Game". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  56. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (March 20, 2022). "Creighton Bluejays stun Iowa Hawkeyes in NCAA women's basketball tournament, hold Caitlin Clark to 15 points". ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  57. ^ "Clark, Czinano Named WBCA All-Americans". University of Iowa Athletics. March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  58. ^ "Caitlin Clark Claims 2 Point Guard Awards". Sports Illustrated. April 3, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  59. ^ "2021-22 Academic All-America® Women's Basketball Teams Announced For All NCAA and NAIA Divisions" (Press release). College Sports Information Directors of America. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  60. ^ DePaula, Nick (October 10, 2022). "Bronny James among 5 hoops players to land Nike NIL deals". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  61. ^ "Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark lead AP's preseason All-America team". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  62. ^ "Iowa Tops Big Ten Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Rankings" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. October 5, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  63. ^ "2022-23 Big Ten Women's Basketball Honors Announced" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  64. ^ Feinberg, Doug (March 15, 2023). "Boston, Clark headline women's AP All-America team". Associated Press. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  65. ^ "USBWA unveils 2022-23 women's All-America Team" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  66. ^ "2022-23 Academic All-America® Women's Basketball Teams Announced For All NCAA and NAIA Divisions" (Press release). College Sports Communicators. March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  67. ^ Goodwin, Cody (June 15, 2017). "Dowling's Clark relishes time with USA national team in Argentina". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  68. ^ "Caitlin Clark (USA)'s profile – FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019". FIBA. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  69. ^ "Mission accomplished: MVP Clark embraces leadership role to spur USA to more gold". FIBA. August 17, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2022.


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