Caitlin Clark broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record in the first half of Iowa’s win over Ohio State (Image: Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark made more history on Sunday as she hit free throws to break Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA points record – but fans were frustrated by how she got to the line
Caitlin Clark was criticized by Ohio State and other rival fans after the Iowa star broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA points record on free throws won from her ‘flop’.
With 0.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, Iowa was awarded free throws after Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon was called for a technical foul for lightly pushing Clark away from her as the two teams walked to their respective benches. Clark even appeared to initiate the contact, which led to further uproar online.
After the foul was called, Clark calmly walked to the line and hit the first free throw to the delight of the sold-out crowd. The Hawkeyes star then hit the second free throw, breaking Maravich’s 54-year-old record as she surpassed his mark of 3,667 points.
However, some fans on X were left disappointed by the manner in which Clark broke the record. Jonathan Smith (@DegenerateTBone) wrote: “Hahahahaha, the free throws from that lie are what she broke the record with. What a joke.”
“Is Caitlin Clark addicted to flopping after initiating contact with Ohio State women???” added Mark Titus (@clubtrillion). Meanwhile, Crimson Quarry (@crimsonquarry) commented: “This is an insane way to break the all-time scoring record. It’s perfect.”
Quinn (@quinndaniel22) posted his breakdown of the entire incident, writing: “This is objectively hilarious. 22, who flops night in and night out, breaks the all-time scoring on technical FTs because she flopped. Kudos to her for staying true to who she really is as a player though.”
Ultimately, Clark will not care – nor will the method of how she achieved the record likely be remembered. She remains arguably the biggest college sports star in the United States and her popularity was clear on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark reacted to minimal contact from Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, which led to the historic free throws ( Image: X @DegenerateTBone) Ticket prices for the game were $557 on average, making tickets to the game the most expensive for any women’s basketball game ever, per USA Today. At halftime in Iowa’s 93-83 win, Clark – who has declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft – claimed she did not know she was so close to the record and the fact that she broke the record until after the crowd went wild.
“Not really, but when they announced it and then everyone screamed, that’s when I knew,” Clark told FOX Sports’ Allison Williams. “But, pretty cool.”
Clark’s popularity is stratospheric. Within hours of her epic shot to break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record last month, Clark became Fanatics’ top-selling NIL athlete of all time. Sales of a Nike T-shirt which had the slogan ‘You break it, you own it’ emblazoned on took her past Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in total sales.
Fanatics began selling athlete-branded college gear in 2022 following the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to allow college athletes to earn money via NIL. Fanatics also sold a special edition autographed Topps Now trading card commemorating Clark’s scoring feat. The item sold out in less than 10 minutes.
Clark’s 26-4 Iowa will now enter the NCAA tournament and attempt to go one better following their agonizing National Championship defeat to LSU last year.
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