Caitlin Clark to fourth place in NCAA standings as she Surpasses Brittney Griner

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark moved into fourth place on the NCAA women’s basketball career scoring chart Tuesday, overtaking former Baylor standout center Brittney Griner as the No. 2 Hawkeyes won their 15th consecutive game. Clark currently has 3,306 points.

Clark had a game-high 32 points as Iowa trounced visiting Wisconsin 96-50. Despite missing starting forward Hannah Stuelke (lower leg injury), the Hawkeyes defeated Wisconsin for the 29th game in a row. Iowa, 18-1 overall, leads the Big Ten, 7-0.

Clark also led Iowa with seven rebounds and five assists. For the third time in a row, she made six of Iowa’s 15 three-point attempts.

Clark entered the game with 3,274 points and needed 10 to surpass Griner. She scored on a free throw with 7:02 remaining in the second quarter. The senior has scored in double figures in all but one game at Iowa, dating back to her freshman year.

Former Missouri State guard Jackie Stiles is next on the scoring chart, having scored 3,393 points between 1997 and 2001. Clark needs 88 to pass her.

Guard Kelsey Mitchell (3,402 from 2014 to 2018 at Ohio State) is second, with guard Kelsey Plum (3,527 from 2013 to 2017 at Washington) in first place. Current WNBA standouts include Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Griner (Phoenix Mercury).

Clark is currently averaging 31.0 points per game. At her present rate, she might move into first position by the second or third week of February.

She has made at least one 3-pointer in 76 straight games and two or more in 45 consecutive games. The latter stretch is the longest in Division I during the last 25 years.

Clark has led her team and the opponent in scoring for 29 straight games dating back to last season. This is the second-longest such run in the last 25 seasons, following only former Delaware standout Elena Delle Donne (33). Delle Donne (Washington Mystics) scored 3,039 points with the Blue Hens between 2009 and 2013.

Clark has scored at least 30 points against 26 different opponents, including Wisconsin. That includes every Big Ten team except Purdue, against whom Clark recorded her 15th career triple-double last week.

Iowa will travel to No. 18 Ohio State on Sunday for what is expected to be one of the Hawkeyes’ harder road games.

“We know we’re going to have our hands full there, breaking the press and taking care of the ball,” Clark told reporters. “But also, there’s so many weapons on the floor, being able to guard at all five positions is key for us.”