Lisa Bluder on Caitlin Clark nearing scoring record: 'It's important to win this game'

Everyone around Iowa City and those who follow college basketball are well aware of how close that Caitlin Clark is to setting the new all-time scoring record in the women’s game. It’s not the Hawkeyes’ main priority, though, in the midst of this season.

Lisa Bluder shared her thoughts on the upcoming achievement following a 111-93 victory for Iowa over Penn State on Thursday. While they all obviously want to see her accomplish the feat already, their goal is to, first and foremost, win whatever game that she ends up breaking it in.

“We’re just really trying to win a game,” Bluder said regarding the mindset of their team about the record. “That’s all that was on our mind.”

However, as far as preference, Bluder did admit that she’d rather see Clark score those historic points on their home floor. It’d just be more special for her that way and it’d be a gift to their supportive Hawkeye crowd. Still, if it’s necessary in order to win in Lincoln on Sunday, it could very well happen there as well.

“I would rather have her break it at home just because I think our Carver Hawkeye fans deserve that. But, believe me, our number one priority will be to win the game at Nebraska,” said Bluder.

Clark currently sits in second with 3,489 points to this point of her fourth season at Iowa. That leaves her 38 points from tying and 39 points shy of breaking the all-time scoring record in women’s college basketball. Kelsey Plum holds that record with 3,527 points back at Washington in the mid-2010s.

3,528 points would then put her 140 points shy of ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich for the all-time record overall, men’s or women’s, in college ball.

With Clark’s present average of 32.2 points, setting the new record inside Pinnacle Bank Arena is more than in play. That’s especially so considering Clark has six games of scoring 38 or more points just this year as a senior.

With that said, Iowa has higher priorities than breaking a record that is essentially a foregone conclusion. At 22-2 and 11-1 in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes are still battling for the conference. Building their resumé for seeding in the postseason is part of that as well.

That’s why Bluder and the Hawkeyes, while natually excited for Clark, are going to let it happen like it’s meant to happen amidst the flow of a game that they hope will be another tally in their win column.

“I don’t even know how many more points – I can do the math, I can do that afterwards. But, like, it’s going to happen so, to me, that’s not important,” said Bluder. “It’s important to win this game.”