Caitlin Clark becomes Big Ten's fastest to score 1,000 points

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Clark is like a scoring machine.

Caitlin Clark becomes Big Ten's fastest to 1,000-point mark in Iowa's 93-56 win over Evansville

Hawkeyes sophomore Caitlin Clark surpassed the 1,000-point mark against Evansville. She became the fastest player in Big Ten history to score 1,000 points, doing it in 40 games.

www.hawkcentral.com

 

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Caitlin Clark returns for Year 2 after leading the nation in scoring​

 

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Uploaded Jan.8, 2022
0:46 video - Caitlin Clark Goes Harlem Globetrotters On This Move!

 

[The deacon]

And she's doing this so far with this season with her 3-point shot notably errant.

 

[The deacon]

I'd be curious to see who's done it fastest and with the highest shooting percentages. She attempted 757 field goals to get to 1,000 points, not including those where she was fouled and went to the line (237 times), so I think part of being "fastest" is, uhm, taking a lot of shots. An average of 19 shots per game, to be precise...

I'd say that's a pretty good return on investment... 19 shots for an average of about 26 points per game?

 

[TheFarmFan]

I certainly think it is a pretty good return on investment. It's just that when she takes about 1/3 of her team's shots, I'm not surprised she tallies points quickly. And whether that makes for the best team is up for debate.

For instance, her shooting percentage has been below her overall team's shooting percentage in both seasons (47.2% for Clark versus team-wide 51.3% in 2020-21, and 43.2% for Clark versus team 47.9% so far this season). That's especially striking since she's not exactly starting alongside a line-up of All-Americans. Paige Bueckers, by comparison, is on a team stacked with McD's All-Americans, and yet she's shooting 56.3% versus team-wide 46.3% this year, and 52.4% versus 51.1% for her team last year.

All of which is to say, those gauzy numbers are as much about volume as quality.

 

[JellyBean]

Congrats, Caitlin!!

 

[nwhoopfan]

@TheFarmFan you'll have to suggest how a player can score a lot of points without taking shots. Clark can't be expected to have the same FG accuracy as former/current Hawkeyes like Czinano or Gustafson, because almost all of those players shots are from about 2 feet from the rim. Or HIllmon over at Michigan. I don't know all of the leading scorers in Big 10 history, but looking just now Kelly Mazzante and Kelsey Mitchell were both around 43% shooters for their respective careers.

 

[undersized]

I certainly think it is a pretty good return on investment. It's just that when she takes about 1/3 of her team's shots, I'm not surprised she tallies points quickly. And whether that makes for the best team is up for debate.

For instance, her shooting percentage has been below her overall team's shooting percentage in both seasons (47.2% for Clark versus team-wide 51.3% in 2020-21, and 43.2% for Clark versus team 47.9% so far this season). That's especially striking since she's not exactly starting alongside a line-up of All-Americans. Paige Bueckers, by comparison, is on a team stacked with McD's All-Americans, and yet she's shooting 56.3% versus team-wide 46.3% this year, and 52.4% versus 51.1% for her team last year.

All of which is to say, those gauzy numbers are as much about volume as quality.

The "rest of the team's" FG% is so high because Monika Czinano, Queen of Efficiency, accounts for the biggest share of the shot attempts among the rest of the team. So of course Clark isn't going to shoot as well as the rest of the team combined. (Oh, and by the way, who do you think is doing the work to set up Czinano to get such high percentage looks?)

Iowa without Clark and Czinano are shooting 45% this season, which is a pretty negligible difference compared to Clark's 43.2%. And considering Clark is usually relied on to take very difficult shots at the end of possessions, because everyone else on the roster struggles to create shots for themselves and others, her percentages are astounding.

 

[maccca3232]

All of which is to say, those gauzy numbers are as much about volume as quality.

1,000 Points

 

[bballnut90]

I'd be curious to see who's done it fastest and with the highest shooting percentages. She attempted 757 field goals to get to 1,000 points, not including those where she was fouled and went to the line (237 times), so I think part of being "fastest" is, uhm, taking a lot of shots. An average of 19 shots per game, to be precise...

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/2018/D1.pdf

Page 20 lists players on there. Looks like she's 8th all time. The only notable name in front of her is Elena Delle Donne who had very similar percentages to Clark despite EDD being a forward playing against low level teams. The players with higher percentages were primarily posts, aside from Andrea Stinson and the great Jackie Stiles.

High volume just doesn't go with high percentages for guards, particularly when they take a lot of 3s. Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Diana Taurasi, Cynthia Cooper...none of them came close to 50% for their career. Even Steph Curry, the best shooter of all time, has a career FG% of 47%. Clark at 46% is pretty darn impressive for a high usage guard that takes the majority of her shots from the perimeter. Not to mention she's a fantastic facilitator and is ranked high nationally in assists per game. It's a heck of a feat considering those factors. No one is arguing she's the most efficient player in the country, but there's no need to undermine the accomplishment.

 

[noirwestern]

She's an amazing and somewhat unexpected talent. She's not big or fast or even all that athletic but here she is writing her name on her first page in the record books already. It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if they were to land a sterling recruit or a transfer or two to give her a little more help so she could win it all.

 

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Caitlin's motor was just too high for Nebraska.
Posted Jan. 17, 2022

Caitlin Clark Took The ENTIRE Game Over | Triple Double | 31, 10 & 10​

 

[undersized]

But! But! -- I thought she was "just a volume shooter"?

 

[letsgogirls]

She's just a "ball hog"

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wow, that's amazing. I've seen a few 20/20 games w/ points and rebounds, I wonder if anyone has ever done it w/ points and assists? Didn't miss it by much.

 

[undersized]

COLD-BLOODED

 

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Caitlin Clark scores career-best 46 points as Iowa falls to No. 6 Michigan - Sports Illustrated

Clark was looking like Steph Curry out there.

www.si.com

 

[JellyBean]

She might mess around and break Kelsey Plums scoring mark of 3,527!

 

[nwhoopfan]

She might mess around and break Kelsey Plums scoring mark of 3,527!

Playing less games per season so far because of covid could hold her back, but her points per game average is way ahead of Plum's pace so far. She certainly could make a run at it.

 

[letsgogirls]

Playing less games per season so far because of covid could hold her back, but her points per game average is way ahead of Plum's pace so far. She certainly could make a run at it.

I don't think she'll get there either because of the lack of games played. But, last year she scored 87 more points than Plum did her freshman year even though she played 4 more games than Caitlin did. She needs 139 more points this season to tie Plum's sophomore season in points.

 

[bballnut90]

Playing less games per season so far because of covid could hold her back, but her points per game average is way ahead of Plum's pace so far. She certainly could make a run at it.

I looked at this the other day--it's an uphill battle for Clark since she missed out on 6-7 games last season and about 6 so far this season due to covid. 300+ points more points she likely would have.

Never say never but odds are against it right now. If she plays in 9 more games this season and keeps scoring her current average, she'll get another 250 or so, putting her at around 1650 points through 2 seasons, about 1900 points behind Plum. If she plays in 35 games her last 2 years she'll need to average about 27.1 ppg to break it. Not out of reach but I wouldn't count on it since the margin for error is razor thin if she misses any games, or if games get canceled for covid. Had she played in the 12 games she's missed and scored 300 more points, she'd only have to hit 22.8 ppg to catch Plum.

 

[undersized]

I think it's obvious Clark could break the record -- she is an incredibly gifted scorer. But a better question is whether she should. Clark would be the first to tell you that the more balanced Iowa's scoring is, the more dangerous of a team they are. So as an Iowa fan I hope she doesn't break this record. Or put another way, I hope the team next year (and this year once fully healthy) doesn't need her to be scoring at a rate that would keep her on pace to break the record.

What needs to be talked about more is that Clark's season highs (two of which are also career highs) have almost all come in games where two of Iowa's next leading scorers weren't playing:
--46 points against Michigan -- no Warnock and Marshall
--44 points against Evansville -- no Czinano and Warnock
--43 points against Ohio State -- Warnock and Marshall both started but were injured during this game
--35 points against Minnesota on 1/20 -- this was an exception; Iowa was fully healthy
--32 points against Minnesota on 2/9 -- Warnock out, Marshall on minutes restriction

 

[letsgogirls]

I think it's obvious Clark could break the record -- she is an incredibly gifted scorer. But a better question is whether she should. Clark would be the first to tell you that the more balanced Iowa's scoring is, the more dangerous of a team they are. So as an Iowa fan I hope she doesn't break this record. Or put another way, I hope the team next year (and this year once fully healthy) doesn't need her to be scoring at a rate that would keep her on pace to break the record.

What needs to be talked about more is that Clark's season highs (two of which are also career highs) have almost all come in games where two of Iowa's next leading scorers weren't playing:
--46 points against Michigan -- no Warnock and Marshall
--44 points against Evansville -- no Czinano and Warnock
--43 points against Ohio State -- Warnock and Marshall both started but were injured during this game
--35 points against Minnesota on 1/20 -- this was an exception; Iowa was fully healthy
--32 points against Minnesota on 2/9 -- Warnock out, Marshall on minutes restriction

That is very true. She'll break Megan Gustafson's points record and I know I'll be happy with just that as I'm sure many other Hawks fans will be happy with. Caitlin would also be the first to say that she would much rather go to a final four than be the NCAA points record holder. Although Plum did do both.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Maybe she can become the first 2000 pt/1000 assist player who wasn't coached by Kelly Graves. Also maybe she can join Ionescu in the 2000/1000/1000 club. Although the shortened seasons are really working against her as far as that goes.