On The Verge of Eclipsing Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark’s Wave of 40-point Games Might Explode WNBA’s Rare Trend In The Future

The Iowa Hawkeyes point guard Caitlin Clark registered another 40-point game against the Virginia Tech, winning the match narrowly 80-76. While Clark missed her highest score of 46 by only 2 points, nonetheless she drew comparisons to the WNBA star Breanna Stewart. Stewart has recorded the highest 40-point games in the WNBA (4) and Clark who is projected to be the No. 1 pick next season might just eclipse Stewart’s record in the long run.

Furthermore, Friday’s 40-point performance was not the first time Clark had achieved this feat. In fact, there have been have been 8 other instances of the same. Here they are:-

Vs Evansville 93-56 – 44 points January 2, 2022

The Iowa Hawkeyes decimated the Evansville Purple Aces by a blowout margin of 93-56. The Purple Aces could only match the Hawkeyes in the second quarter when they equaled their opponent’s point tally of 15 points. They were thrashed in the other quarters with Clark scoring an astounding 44 points. Clark did not only stop at that but was the highest in assists also recording 8 of them. This was the first instance in the NCAA history when the Iowa-born had smashed over 40 points.

Vs Ohio State 88-92 – 43 points January 31, 2022

Clark repeated her heroics in a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 31, 2022. She dropped a stunning 43 points and also recorded the highest assists for her team (7). While the Hawkeyes lost the game in a close contest by 88-92, Clark’s importance for the team was quite visible to everyone. The Ohio had their highest scorer in Taylor Mikesell who had smoked 24 points but Clark was way ahead despite on the losing side. 

Vs Michigan 90-98 – 46 points February 6, 2022

The 2023 Naismith College Player of the Year again gave career best performance in one of the subsequent games against the Michigan Wolverines. She potted an exceptional 46 points with 10 assists in the match. Once again, she stood tall since the Ohio power forward Naz Hillmon had been the highest scorer for her team with 26 points. Meanwhile, though ending on the losing side, Clark had smoked 25 points during the fourth quarter itself.

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Vs Nebraska 83-66 – 41 points March 5, 2022

That same year during the semifinals of the Big Ten, Clark toted 41 points with 9 rebounds. This led her team winning against the Nebraska by a huge margin of 83-66. The Cornhuskers found it difficult to control the Hawkeyes who lost just the first quarter by 3 points but upended the Pinnacle Bay Arena-team in the remaining three quarters. For her outstanding performances throughout the season, Clark was named the tournament’s most outstanding player (MOP).

Vs NC State 81-94 – 45 points December 1, 2022

The 2023 AP Player of the Year sloshed a season-high of 45 points during her contest against the NC State Wolfpack. Amid a disappointing performance from other Hawkeyes, Clark stood her ground, as she went onto record more than double the highest points from the opposing team’s player. The Wolfpack had their point guard Diamond Johnson as their highest scorer with 22 points. The Hawkeyes lost the game 81-94 but Clark won all hearts.

Vs Maryland Terrapins 96-82, 42 points February 2, 2023

Clark recorded her sixth over 40 point game against the Maryland Terrapins. She bursted 42 points with eight assists and seven rebounds as her team comfortably win against the Terrapins. While the Terrapins scored a respectable 82 points, the Hawkeyes overtook them with 96 points. This was another instance where Clark’s outstanding gameplay clearly made her a force to reckon with.

Vs Louisville 97-83 41 points

One of her most commendable performances came in the last season of March during the Elite Eight match against the Louisville.

Stepping up to the big occasion, Clark besotted a grand 41 points with 12 assists and 10 rebounds. She stood out as the highest-getter for her team in all three departments, becoming the first player in men’s or women’s NCAA history to have a 30 or 40-point triple-double.

Vs South Carolina Gamecocks 77-73 41 points

By now Clark had made a name for herself but wasn’t going to stop at anything. She again wrecked 41 points during the Final Four game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in a 77-73 win. It ended the Gamecocks’ winning streak of 42 games. With this game, Clark also became the first player with consecutive 40 point games in the tournament history.

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While the world revels at Clark’s gameplay, it is high time she gets drafted in the WNBA. Clark was also compared to the NBA legend Steph Curry. Will Clark be a competition to Breanna Stewart or is it an unfair assumption. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.