Caitlin Clark: Inevitable
Caitlin Clark has a rendezvous with destiny. The destination: alone atop the all-time scoring list, hasn’t been in doubt for some time now; all that's left to be revealed is when and where.
It’s taken Clark 22 games this season to move up 23 spots on the NCAA Women’s all-time scoring list, moving past 2 of the final 3 women ahead of her during this week’s 110–74 drubbing of Northwestern.
While no statistical records were broken in Evanston, the “Caitlin Clark Record Breaking” tour didn’t take the night off. The chance to see Clark play in what is likely her final season engendered the first sellout crowd in the 49-year history of Northwestern Women’s Basketball. It even led some Northwestern fans to switch sides for one night to cheer on Clark.
From the Chicago Tribunes coverage of the game:
Fans arrived as early as 10:30 a.m. to jostle for position as close to the court as possible to see college basketball’s biggest star. Minutes before doors opened, the line for general admission seats wrapped halfway around the building.
“It’s the Caitlin Clark effect,” said Paul Alvarez, who attended the game with his wife, Tracy Futterman-Alvarez, and their daughter, Kenzie. “There’s nothing like it. I’ve been a sports fan for 46 years. I’ve been to World Series games, NBA Finals. I’ve seen it all, and this is up there.”
The sellout crowd of 7,039 was boosted by a large and rowdy contingent of Iowa fans who packed the arena with yellow and black — and plenty of Clark jerseys. Even Northwestern season ticket holders — the Alvarez family included — wore Clark gear.
Barring something shocking or unexpected, Clark’s pending coronation as the #1 all-time scorer in women's college basketball history will be held on Sunday, February 11th (@Nebraska) or Thursday, February 15th (Michigan).
Clark is 103 points (34.33 logo-threes) behind Kelsey Plum. Should her 32ppg average hold true, look for the record to fall in the 1st or 2nd quarter of the Michigan game in Iowa City. If she hews closer to recent form over the next few games, 36ppg over her last 5, look to crunchtime in Lincoln.
If records are made to be broken, then Caitlin Clark was made to break records. She is inevitable.
