As the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record approached, Caitlin Clark picked up the pace

IOWA CITY — Upon approach to the NCAA women’s basketball career scoring record, Caitlin Clark hasn’t turned timid.

With 30-plus points in each of the last six games, the University of Iowa dynamo has continued to push her record-breaking moment forward.

Now, it’s a matter of when.

Will it be Sunday, at Nebraska in a nationally televised game (FS1)? Or will it be the following Thursday, in front of a home crowd but merely streamed on Peacock?

Clark needs 65 points to match Kelsey Plum’s NCAA mark of 3,527 points, 66 to make the record her own.

“Caitlin isn’t talking about it,” Sydney Affolter said Wednesday during the Hawkeyes’ weekly media gathering at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “We’re talking about winning.”

And that, Thursday, will be enough of a challenge. It should be an entertaining one: No. 2 Iowa (21-2 overall, 10-1 Big Ten) hosts up-and-coming Penn State (16-6, 7-4).

Tipoff is 8 p.m. at Carver (BTN).

On Friday, Plum said that her own quest for the record, in 2017, “was very much a low point in my life. It felt like a lot of pressure, and my identity was kind of caught up in that record.

“I hope everyone takes time to understand that (Clark) is not just a basketball player but a young woman that has feelings and emotions. She carries it with grace, but there's a lot to handle there.”

By all accounts, Clark has handled it remarkably well.

“I hear her say it ... basketball is fun,” assistant coach Abby Stamp said. “That kid is the first to crack a joke that nobody can believe.”

Neither Clark nor head coach Lisa Bluder were made available to the local media this week.

In an interview with the Big Ten Network released Wednesday, Bluder said, “I can’t believe the maturity that Caitlin has handled this with. It hasn’t been a burden to her; she’s coming in ready to bust it down. I love that about Caitlin.”

As for Clark, the recent production has done the speaking for her. In this six-game tear, she has averaged 36.3 points per contest.

That’s called sprinting to the finish line.

“There’s a lot of pressure, (Clark) leans on us, she leans on the coaches,” Gabbie Marshall said. “It can get a little stressful and tiring, but we’re focused more on winning the next game.”

Clark’s record assault is a major talking point, but as Affolter and Marshall stressed, let’s not forget the primary focus. With eight games left in the Big Ten race, the Hawkeyes are tied for first place with Ohio State.

Penn State, meanwhile, is in the midst of its best season in a decade. And the Lady Lions won’t shy away from running with the Hawkeyes on Thursday.

“They play hard. They’re going to press. They’re going to rotate on defense. They’re going to try to make you make mistakes, and they’re going to play fast,” Stamp said.

“If a team wants to run, we stress shot selection. We’ve got to hunt for good shots.”

Marshall said, “Defensive transition, we need to keep their guards in front of us. It’s going to be a really competitive game.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com