On Sunday, March 3, Iowa City became the center of the college basketball universe as Caitlin Clark attempts to become the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. She needs 18 points to surpass former LSU star Pete Maravich's point total of 3,617.
The sold-out Carver Hawkeye Arena features a notable list of celebrities who may witness history.
Hours before kickoff, an astonished Clark met former WNBA star Maya Moore, one of Clark's basketball idols who grew up in West Des Moines. Moore, a UConn graduate, won the league's MVP award in 2014 and has won four titles and six All-Star selections.
It's 9:30 a.m., but the stars are out in Iowa City. @MooreMaya x @CaitlinClark22 #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/0tc7xzLeTm
— Iowa women's basketball (@IowaWBB) March 3, 2024
Actor Kevin Miles, known for his role as “Jake from State Farm,” also made an appearance in the Tunnels of Carver before the competition.
A sea of black and gold. @IowaWBB x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/QXLWFze1LI
— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) March 3, 2024
On February 28, Clark surpassed Lynette Woodard in career points. Woodard played for Kansas from 1977 to 1981 and scored 3,649 points. This number does not officially count toward the NCAA women's record because the NCAA sanctioned women's basketball in the 1981–82 season. Still, Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder called Woodard's statistics the true women's record.
Lynette Woodard in the house today.
Woodard played for Kansas from 1978 to 1981 and held the AIAW/NCAA scoring record for nearly 45 years.
📸- @webcentrick pic.twitter.com/a3TizXxAoL
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) March 3, 2024
Rapper Travis Scott took a seat courtside and even joined the team on the floor for the postgame celebration, posing for a photo and shaking Bluder's hand.
“Caitlin Clark. She’s one of the greatest people of all time.”
Travis Scott (@trvisXX) was in Iowa City to see history. pic.twitter.com/qOybBBHzt1
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) March 3, 2024
Travis Scott with the Iowa team‼️
(📸 @SavilleSez) pic.twitter.com/Lk619vjVtr
– FTP (@ftpflame) March 3, 2024
Although he is not known for his basketball talent, former MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan was also in attendance Sunday. Ryan, who played for the New York Mets, Anaheim Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, holds the all-time strikeout record with 5,714.
Carver Hawkeye's Nolan Ryan was not on the bingo card today. pic.twitter.com/fBoLBuCgO0
— Tom Kakert (@HawkeyeReport) March 3, 2024
Comments are closed.