Tag: Iowa women’s basketball

Should Caitlin Clark break the scoring record on Sunday?

Caitlin Clark is just 39 points away and could write history at Nebraska by capturing the all-time scoring record. Should she wait, though?

Should Caitlin Clark break the scoring record on Sunday? It truly is a testament to just how good Caitlin Clark is that this is even a valid question. The Iowa point guard is 39 points away from breaking the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring record of 3,527 points.

The current mark was set by Kelsey Plum back in 2017. Now, heading into a Big Ten clash with Nebraska, Clark has the chance to make history.

She surely has the capability to break the record right now if she’s having a good game on Sunday. She has already eclipsed the 40-point mark three times this season. The last time she played the Cornhuskers, she scored 38 points which is pretty dang close. Should Sunday be the big day, though? Lindsay Schnell of USA TODAY Sports convincingly declares that Clark should not.

She’s (Clark) also the second-leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history … and she should stay that for another week.

Yes, I’m asking the reigning national player of the year, pretty please, to just be average for one game. – Schnell, USA TODAY Sports.

Schnell pleads Clark not to break the record on Super Bowl Sunday, and the reasoning is pretty understandable. Clark has done a ton to grow the game of women’s basketball. From sold out arenas to major media coverage, women’s collegiate ball is flourishing like never before.

For as big of a moment as her breaking the all-time record would be, while still on the hunt to overtake “Pistol” Pete as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, it would definitely be overshadowed by the Super Bowl. It is still the biggest sporting event of the year for Americans.

Quite honestly, this might not even be the biggest reason to want Clark to hold off on breaking the record though as Lisa Bluder explains.

“I would rather have her break it at home,” Bluder admitted after Iowa’s win over Penn State. “I think our Carver-Hawkeye fans deserve that. But believe me, our No. 1 priority will be to win the game at Nebraska.”

That right there is what makes this all so difficult. Iowa is playing to win. At the end of the day, record or not, that’s what Clark and the rest of her team care about the most. While she is a fantastic passer, we all know that Iowa is at their best when she is shooting the basketball. That’s how they win.

While it would be really nice to see Clark break the record in front of a capacity crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, I know that she will not let that stop her on Sunday. Whether she scores 39 or 29, Clark is going to do her best to help earn a victory for her teammates and fan base around her.

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Iowa Hawkeyes at Nebraska Cornhuskers: TV, stream, game notes for Sunday

No. 2 Iowa heads to Nebraska today. Here’s how to watch, stream and listen to the Hawkeyes. Plus, starters and game notes.

The big game is this Sunday, and no we are not talking about that silly Super Bowl thing going on in Las Vegas. Nobody cares about that because history could be made in Lincoln, Neb., as Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark inches closer to the all-time women’s college basketball scoring record. Clark is just 39 points away from the record heading into the Hawkeyes’ late-season clash with the Cornhuskers.

It won’t be an easy task to accomplish, but Clark is no stranger to Herculean efforts. In her last outing against the Cornhuskers, Clark led the way with 38 points in Iowa’s 92-73 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 27. Clark has eclipsed the 40-point mark this year a staggering three times.

It’s not a question of whether Clark can break the record on Sunday, rather, it’s whether she will or even should on the road. Iowa plays its next game at home against Michigan on Thursday.

As always, it’s not just about Iowa’s star player and her quest to make history. Iowa (22-2, 11-1 Big Ten) is having a heck of a season, currently sitting as the second-best team in the nation. We are currently on the March to March, so this is when the season really starts to matter.

No matter how good you have been all season, if you start to slip up now and lose momentum, the other talented teams in the Big Ten will get you out quick come tournament time.

That’s exactly what the Cornhuskers will be looking to do on Sunday. They don’t care about no stinking records. They want to win games and make their way back to the NCAA Tournament. A win over Iowa would be a massive aid in that quest.

With the regular season games winding down, this surely is a big one that you will not want to miss. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s clash in Lincoln, including how to watch, probable starters and game notes.

The High School Years: Caitlin Clark before the Iowa Hawkeyes

Before she was a superstar on the Iowa Hawkeyes, Caitlin Clark was a normal high school student. A look back at the early days of the star.

Before she became a superstar on the Iowa Hawkeyes, Caitlin Clark spent her high school years as a normal student at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.

As a member of the 2020 class, she was expected to be good. ESPN’s recruiting service had her as the No. 4 overall recruit and the No. 2 point guard in the country. Still, no one could have anticipated what was to come.

Clark produced immediately upon entering high school. Her freshman year she averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals. In her sophomore year, her averages ballooned to 27.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4 assists.

During her junior year of high school, Caitlin Clark averaged 32.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on her way to being named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Her senior year expanded on that. She averaged 33.4 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists to go with another Gatorade Player of the Year selection.

She left Dowling Catholic named Iowa Miss Basketball, and she was selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Des Moines Register All-Iowa Athlete of the Year.

As Clark approaches the women’s basketball all-time scoring record, here is a look at her before she became the national phenomenon.

Iowa vs. Penn State the most-watched women’s event in Big Ten Network history

Iowa has done it again. The Hawkeyes’ win over Penn State was the most-watched women’s event in Big Ten Network history.

Fresh off of being the most-watched women’s game in Fox Sports history, the Iowa Hawkeyes have once again set the bar for women’s sports with yet another viewing record. Networks can’t seem to get enough of the Iowa Hawkeyes and for very good reason.

Iowa’s 111-93 win over Penn State featuring an exhilarating, record-breaking night from Hannah Stuelke didn’t disappoint those inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena or the fans watching on Big Ten Network. This game broke the record and now sits alone as the most-watched women’s athletic event in Big Ten Network history.

Iowa broke the record set just last fall during a Nebraska and Wisconsin volleyball game. This viewership also breaks Iowa’s record of the most-watched women’s basketball game, a record they set just a few weeks ago against Nebraska.

As the regular season ends, there remain just a handful of chances left to catch the Iowa Hawkeyes in action. Tickets are hard to come by as everyone and their mother wants a chance to see Caitlin Clark on her march to the all-time scoring record along with incredibly high-level team basketball on display by Iowa every time they lace them up.

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Takeaways as Hannah Stuelke’s record-breaking night leads Iowa Hawkeyes to win over Penn State

It was Hannah Stuelke’s night in front of a sold out crowd. Takeaways as her record-breaking night led Iowa to a win over Penn State.

Hannah Stuelke, welcome to history!

The Iowa Hawkeyes forward dropped a career-best and Carver-Hawkeye Arena record 47 points in the 111-93 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night. Everything Stuelke did seemed to work, and Iowa kept feeding her.

Caitlin Clark had only 27. It feels ridiculous to use the word only there but she has been on fire lately. What she did have was 15 assists and showed her ability to find teammates. She is also being put on watch to break the scoring record. She needs 39 points to become women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer.

Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter contributed in vitally important ways, and without their efforts, this game could have turned the other way against the Nittany Lions.

The Hawkeyes improved to 22-2 (11-1 Big Ten) as they enter their final six games of the regular season. Here are a few key takeaways from the record-breaking night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Social media reacts to The Hannah Stuelke Game, Iowa’s win over Penn State

The Hannah Stuelke Game. Stuelke went absolutely crazy, pouring in a Carver record 47 points in Iowa’s 111-93 win vs. Penn State.

Senior guard Caitlin Clark kept inching toward the all-time women’s basketball scoring record, notching another double-double with 27 points and 15 assists.

But, in a rarity, Clark wasn’t the biggest story on this night. Instead, it was sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke. And after what the 6-foot-2 forward from Cedar Rapids did, it really wasn’t very close for at least one night.

Stuelke was flat-out unstoppable, scoring 47 points on 17-of-20 shooting to shatter her previous career high. When she wasn’t putting the ball in the basket, she was earning trips to the foul line.

Stuelke knocked down 13-of-21 free throws as part of her monster performance. She also grabbed nine rebounds, blocked a shot and had a steal.

“I think that’s what everybody’s been waiting for. She’s had glimpses of being really, really great like that, but we all know how good she is and I’m just proud of her. She works so hard. She’s put in so much time, especially this summer. Been dealing with a little bit of a knee injury and to come out here and play like that, it’s exactly what we needed. I think she dominated and to see her confidence grow like that and her smile like that, you know, as a teammate, you’re just really happy,” Clark said of Stuelke afterwards.

In the process, Iowa (22-2, 11-1 Big Ten) collected its fourth straight win with a 111-93 triumph over Penn State from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Now, the Hawkeyes will gear up for a Sunday date at Nebraska at noon.

Before Iowa heads to Husker land, let’s take a look back at how Hawkeye social media enjoyed the spectacle that was Stuelke’s historic night against the Nittany Lions.

CBS Sports rewards Iowa Hawkeyes with a jump in its power rankings

CBS Sports is the latest outlet to reward the Iowa Hawkeyes and their strong week. It has given them a boost in their power rankings.

The Iowa Hawkeyes received a resounding amount of respect this week from multiple outlets and pollsters. They are No. 2 in the AP Top 25, and the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll has the Hawkeyes at their highest ranking of the season.

In power rankings, ESPN rewarded Iowa, moving them up to No. 2. The latest outlet to jump on the trend is CBS Sports. It has moved Iowa up one spot to No. 2 in CBS Sports’ women’s college basketball power rankings.

Iowa showed what type of team it was this past week. It handled an inferior Northwestern team, 110-74, as should be expected of a highly talented team. Iowa followed with a 93-85 win over Maryland in a game that drew historic ratings.

The one common trend in all of these polls and rankings is who the Hawkeyes are chasing. That would be the unanimous No. 1 and undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks. For Iowa to climb to the No. 1 spot, not only does it have to take care of its own business, but also needs the Gamecocks to fall.

That could happen. The Gamecocks have a rare late-season out-of-conference matchup this weekend. They welcome in the No. 11 UConn Huskies on Sunday in a game televised on ESPN that is a must-see for any women’s basketball fan.

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Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions: TV, stream, game notes for Thursday

The No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night. Here’s how fans can watch, stream and listen.

Thursday night sees the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes welcome in the Penn State Nittany Lions for a Big Ten showdown.

Iowa enters the game off a strong week going 2-0 in conference play and seeing it rewarded with a climb to No. 2 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Hawkeyes carry a 21-1 overall record into the matchup with a 10-1 Big Ten conference record. Penn State comes in as a dangerous team the Hawkeyes must be ready for as the Nittany Lions are 16-6 overall and 7-4 in Big Ten play.

Caitlin Clark is inching ever closer to breaking the all-time scoring record and tonight’s packed house inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena should be amped up to see her continue her chase of the historic record.

Here’s where Hawkeye fans can watch, stream and listen to tonight’s game against Penn State. Plus, probable starters for both and a look at the game notes.

Iowa-Maryland was the most-watched women’s game in Fox Sports history

No one has the draw quite like Iowa does right now. Their game against Maryland was the most-watched women’s basketball game in Fox history.

We all know the draw that Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been this year. They are selling out every arena they have stepped into, home or away.

Their next feat is the eyes they are drawing on television. Iowa’s win over the Maryland Terrapins aired on Fox in their 7 p.m. prime-time slot on Saturday evening. The move by Fox paid off.

The matchup set a Fox record as the most-watched women’s game in the history of Fox Sports.

The game averaged 1.58 million viewers throughout. Viewers were treated to a back-and-forth affair that the visiting Hawkeyes pulled out, 93-85. But, it also showed the nation how high quality the women’s game has become.

Clark finished with 38 points and 12 assists. She knocked down seven 3-pointers and collected her 55th career double double. Fifth-year guard Molly Davis was fantastic for the Hawkeyes as well, scoring 17 points and knocking down a trio of 3-pointers.

These ratings give Iowa a stake in three of the five most-watched women’s games so far in the 2023-24 season. Iowa is sure to surpass these views and continue to be a lucrative ratings draw for networks as they head down the homestretch and into postseason play.

The Hawkeyes are slated to play on Fox’s networks three more times and  should produce great ratings every time. Those games are on the road at Nebraska at noon on Sunday, Feb. 11, at home against Illinois on Feb. 25 at noon on FS1 and in the season finale against Ohio State at noon on Sunday, March 3.

The regular-season finale versus the Buckeyes is also the Hawkeyes’ chance for revenge in what figures to be a massive Big Ten matchup to close the regular season on senior day.

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A look at ticket prices for remaining Iowa Hawkeyes women’s games

Caitlin Clark and Iowa are on the homestretch of the regular season. Here is a look at the ticket prices for all of Iowa’s remaining games.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have reached must-see TV status and even more so in person. The ladies are selling out every arena they play in, be it home or away.

With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Hawkeyes are coming down the home stretch before the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. That leaves limited time to see Caitlin Clark in action.

The Hawkeyes’ star point guard does have one more year of eligibility left should she choose to use it. However, she has not given much intel as to which way she may be leaning.

Iowa has some heavyweight matchups left on the slate. Games against No. 13 Indiana and No. 5 Ohio State could produce seismic shakeups in the Big Ten standings. Another hot ticket is the Feb. 15 showdown against Michigan, which could see Clark break the women’s all-time scoring record.

With dwindling chances to see the Hawkeyes and Clark in action, here is a look at the range of ticket prices from cheapest to most expensive for Iowa’s remaining regular-season contests. The ticket prices are from StubHub and are what it would cost to simply get in the door.