Lisa Bluder admits Iowa has plans in place for when Caitlin Clark passes scoring record

Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark is closing down history, just 38 points shy of tying Kelsey Plum for the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring mark. And the Hawkeyes are ready for the occasion.

Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder shared after a recent win that the athletic department and women’s basketball team are prepped for the now-likely occasion that Clark — who averages 28.1 points per game — takes over the record. Just what to expect, though, remains a secret.

“There are things, and I can’t remember what they are right now,” Bluder said. “But we do have some things. Again, that’s just so far back in my mind but I know our marketing department has been preparing.”

Iowa’s next two games — the likely window for Clark breaking the scoring record — on the road at Nebraska on Sunday and then a home game versus Michigan on Feb. 18. While the Cornhuskers might not be so accommodating to an in-game ceremony, the Hawkeyes could certainly halt proceedings to give Clark some shine.

However, that might not be in the cards.

Bluder shared that she and the Iowa staff have been advised not to half the game if and when Clark sets a new all-time scoring mark, advice they seem intent to oblige. But Bluder might find a way to get Clark at least a small moment for an ovation.

“We’ve kind of been advised that we shouldn’t stop the game, we’ve been advised that by the officials. We’ll live with that and maybe I’ll call a timeout, who knows,” Bluder said.

Bluder credited Clark for being humble through it all

Bluder spoke about the selflessness of her star player and, as such, their team following the Hawkeyes’ latest win, a 111-93 victory over Penn State, on Thursday. She started by discussing the unselfish culture in their locker room because of how they recruit and how they coach once they get their girls on campus.

“There’s so many things that go into that. I think it’s our culture. We really praise the assist,” said Bluder. “I mean one of our values is everyone matters. It doesn’t matter to us if you’re the leading scorer or if you’re a person who seldom gets off the bench. To me? Everyone matters. It’s one thing to have that pasted on your wall. It’s another thing to live it. I think our team lives it.”

“We really, in the recruiting process, talk a lot about that with our recruits so that we recruit the same type of value kids. We don’t want kids that want to come in here and just want to be a basketball player. Have everything run around them and not really care about the touchy, feely stuff. We like the touchy, feely stuff,” Bluder continued. “We think, when players are emotionally invested, that they will play harder, that they will look out for each other a little bit more. I think that’s what we try to tap into is the emotional part of this game – not just the skill part.”

That’s when Bluder spoke about Clark specifically. While it’s already what they preach as a team, that only amplifies who she is as an individual. She carries herself in a way where she earns her own approval and by being anything but a diva.

“I give so much credit to Caitlin for that,” said Bluder. “She earns every respect by the way that she performs. The way that she practices, her extra shots that she gets in.”

“She doesn’t act like a prima donna. I mean she just doesn’t,” Bluder said. “I just wish that everybody could see, behind the scenes, how she is. She’s so far from a prima donna.”