Iowa fans erupt with 'One More Year' chant after historic night for Caitlin Clark
After this season, Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will be eligible to enter the WNBA Draft. Understandably, Iowa fans don’t want to see her go. If Clark wasn’t already aware, she is now.
After Clark became the the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in Iowa’s 106-89 win over Michigan, the 6-foot guard stayed on the court for an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. Before Rowe could squeeze a question out, Iowa fans rained down a message toward Clark: “One more year.”
Clark couldn’t help but smile. Of course, she had more to be happy about than the fans’ adoration. Clark not only set the NCAA’s all-time scoring record on Thursday evening, but she also set Iowa’s program record for points in a single game.
In the win, Clark tallied 49 points, five rebounds and 13 assists while shooting 16-31 from the field and 9-18 from beyond the arc. From a historical perspective, the 49 points pale in comparison to Clark’s 5,369 career total.
All eyes on Caitlin Clark
The scoring record has been one of the biggest headlines in college sports this month, and it became a big draw for TV networks. FOX broke its women’s college basketball viewership record twice this month as fans tuned in to see if Clark would break the record, including Iowa’s loss against Nebraska.
When asked if the achievement was a distraction after the loss to the Cornhuskers, Clark said her focus was simply on winning games.
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“It’s not really on the front of my mind right now. I think just getting better and getting back home and playing in front of our fans and executing the way we know we can execute, I think, is very important for this team,” Clark said.
“We’ll have two practices to get ready for that. Obviously, it’ll be special, but I think the biggest focus right now is just finding ways to grow, finding ways to get better, because another case of us blowing another lead. That’s something that has to stop.”
Clark is also making personal history this season, averaging a career-best 32.2 points along with 6.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Her scoring and assist averages both rank first in the country, and she is widely viewed as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Nonetheless, after tonight, perhaps Iowa fans can convince Clark to reconsider her future. If Clark wanted to, she is eligible to play one more season for the Hawkeyes.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.