Caitlin Clark was the best basketball player in all of college basketball last year.
The 6 ‘0 guard from Iowa averaged 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 38.9% from deep last season, while in 23 of her 38 game appearances, she averaged 40% or higher.
But she didn’t develop overnight; Clark has played this way since high school basketball at Dowling Catholic High School, where she was a 4-year varsity member.
In her freshman season, Clark averaged 15.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. Her sophomore season was even better; she increased her scoring average to 27.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. She put up her best stat lines in her junior and senior years, as she averaged 32.5 points in her junior year and averaged 33.4 points in her senior year.
Her talent didn’t go unnoticed. Clark was the fourth overall recruit in the class of 2020 and received many prestigious accolades throughout high school.
Caitlin was the Gatorade Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year in Iowa during her junior and senior years, and currently holds two state records: the most points scored in a game in 5A (60) and the most three-pointers made in a game (13).
She also won two gold medals for Team USA, playing in the 2017 U16 FIBA Americas Tournament and 2019 U19 FIBA Americas Tournament.
Her first game as a Hawkeye was nothing short of a success story. Clark put up massive numbers—27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals—that most people wouldn’t expect to see from a freshman.
After starting all 30 games in her rookie season, Caitlin Clark established herself as a reliable scorer for Lisa Bluder, averaging 26.6 points per game.
Her first two seasons were far more successful than anybody could have expected, especially for someone who’s an underclassman. That’s just the kind of player Clark is.
In her freshman year alone, Clark won the Tamika Catchings Award with Paige Bueckers, the Dawn Staley Award, and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was unanimously voted first team Big Ten All-Tournament. She received All-American honors and was the recipient of 20 Big Ten weekly awards.
Her sophomore year was another successful season. Clark was the Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Tournament MVP, and was named to first-team Big Ten All-Tournament and first-team all-Big Ten unanimously. She won her second Dawn Staley award, becoming the first player to win it back-to-back, while also being named the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year.
Now, looking at her most recent season, Clark has been called the best player in all of basketball from last year by analysts, and they’re 100% right.
Clark has been making history in every game she plays, including leading her team of Hawkeyes all the way to the National Championship game for the first time in school history.
Last season, Clark broke numerous amounts of records in the NCAA Tournament: she was the first player in NCAA Tournament history with back-to-back 40-point games, broke the NCAA Tournament record for most 3-point field goals made (8), became the first player in Division I history to record 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season.
Those are only some of the accomplishments she’s achieved.
With Caitlin Clark returning to Iowa City for her senior season, she is the player you should be looking out for the most. You should expect to hear more throughout the season about her setting new records by breaking old ones.
Caitlin Clark is the best player in all of college basketball. She is in the process of making history.
