Iowa women's basketball superstar Caitlin Clark joined the elite ranks of Division I women's basketball by scoring her 3,000th career point on Wednesday night during a tense match against Iowa State, where the No. 4 Hawkeyes emerged victorious with a score of 67-58. The Hawkeyes are now 9-1.

Clark's performance was nothing short of impressive, contributing 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The achievement not only marks her as the 15th player in Division I women's basketball to reach such a milestone but also makes her the first player in Division I, both in women's and men's categories, to reach at least 3,000 points, 750 rebounds and 750 assists.

Entering the game 22 points shy of 3,000 points, Clark, wearing jersey number 22, made the achievement even more symbolic. Playing close to her hometown of West Des Moines, Iowa, where she attended Dowling Catholic High School, Clark was surrounded by family and friends as she made history. Despite the significant milestone, Clark's focus remained on the game itself, particularly given the rivalry with the Cyclones and her previous loss at Hilton Coliseum in December 2021.

“It's special to be able to do it here,” Clark said, as reported by Michael Voepel of ESPN. “I have a lot of family in attendance. But it was kind of the same as when I broke the [Hawkeyes] scoring record. We keep playing. We don't celebrate in the timeout. That's not what it's about. As long as we win –I probably wouldn't be happy scoring 3,000 points in a loss.”

Clark scored 12 points in the first quarter and surpassed the 3,000-point mark with a 3-pointer in the third quarter. Notably, she was responsible for all of Iowa's 14 points in that quarter, a first in her career. She also contributed 26 of the Hawkeyes' 33 points in the second half.

The game marked Clark's 41st career finish with at least 30 points. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder praised Clark's achievement, acknowledging the guard's hard work.

“Caitlin surpassing the 3,000 mark is really special,” Bluder said. “That is a very hard thing to do, and to do it so early in her senior season is amazing.”Clark, in her 110th career game, achieved this milestone faster than any other player in the past 25 seasons and second fastest in NCAA Division I history.

As she continues her senior year run, now with 3,013 points, her sights are set on surpassing Kelsey Plum's 3,527-point record as the all-time scoring leader in the NCAA era.