Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark may not break all-time scoring record at home

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark is on the verge of becoming the NCAA Division I scoring leader, but she may not set the record at home. 

Clark scored 27 points in a 111-93 win over Penn State on Thursday and is just 39 points away from breaking former Washington guard Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527 points heading into Sunday's game at Nebraska. The Hawkeyes don't return home until Feb. 15, when they host Michigan at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Still, it would sting a little to have Clark break such a precious record anywhere but in Iowa City. 

"In a perfect world, (Clark) would break the record at home," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said in her postgame news conference following the win over Penn State. 

Clark is averaging 32.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.2 assists and shooting 47.7 percent from the field. She has scored 39 points or more three times this season, with the last time being a 45-point outing in a 100-92 loss at Ohio State on Jan. 21. 

In an interesting twist, Clark wasn't Iowa's leading scorer for the first time in 33 games after teammate Hannah Stuelke came one point away from breaking Iowa's single-game scoring record with 47 points against Penn State. Clark finished with 15 assists and a season-high 12 turnovers. 

Clark led the Hawkeyes to a national runner-up finish in 2023 and is the reigning Naismith College Player of the Year. Iowa (22-2) is ranked No. 2 and tied with No. 5 Ohio State for first in the Big Ten.