In a display of nonchalant brilliance, Caitlin Clark shattered Iowa women's basketball's all-time career scoring record, amassing 2,813 career points and eclipsing Megan Gustafson's record of 2,804 points. Clark's historic achievement came during the Hawkeyes' commanding 94-53 triumph over Northern Iowa on Nov. 12, where she also notched her 12th career triple-double.

Clark, the reigning national player of the year and a unanimous AP preseason All-American, showed-off her skills with 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Her performance puts her alongside Sabrina Ionescu as the only NCAA Division I players with triple-doubles in four distinct seasons.

Clark's milestone was celebrated with a supportive message from Gustafson, who texted Clark the night before the game telling her to “go out there and do it.”

Despite the record on the horizon, Clark maintained a focused approach during the game, stating that the record “never crossed my mind.”

“It was like 15 or 16 (points) I needed (to break the record), and once I crossed 16 I didn’t even know,” Clark said, via John Bohnenkamp of the Associated Press.

Her shooting efficiency was on full display, with a 6 of 13 performance from the field, including 2 of 5 in 3-pointers. Northern Iowa coach Tanya Warren lauded Clark as “the best player in the country,” acknowledging the challenge she poses for any defense.

“No ifs, ands or buts about it,” Warren said. “You’re not going to stop her, you’re not going to contain her. You just want to make things tough for her.”

Gabbie Marshall and Hannah Stuelke contributed significantly to the victory, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively, propelling the Hawkeyes to a 3-0 season start. This win follows closely on the heels of their narrow victory against No. 8 Virginia Tech.

Northern Iowa, favored in the Missouri Valley Conference, struggled offensively against Iowa, making only 7 of 35 field goals in the first half. This sluggish start contributed to a significant 40-25 halftime deficit. The Panthers' overall field goal percentage languished at 25%, including a dismal 2 of 19 from the three-point range.

The Hawkeyes, in contrast, were exceptional in the second half, shooting 18 of 28 from the field and extending their lead to a staggering 44 points in the final quarter. Riley Wright and Grace Boffeli led the Panthers with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

With recent losses by No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Connecticut, the Hawkeyes are on the cusp of being the top team in the Associated Press poll. However, Coach Lisa Bluder and the team remain focused on the season's journey, emphasizing the importance of a strong start while acknowledging the long road ahead.

“We’ll see,” Bluder said. “It really doesn’t matter if we are or not. It’s a long year. What are we this week? Three? That’s darn good too.”

Looking ahead, Caitlin Clark has the remainder of this season to extend her record, with a decision on using her fifth year of eligibility still pending. Emphasizing the transitory nature of records, she expressed hope that future Iowa players would surpass her achievements.

“Records are meant to be broken,” Clark said. “So I hope Iowa has a really great player one day who can break mine, too.”