Caitlin Clark Breaks Lynette Woodard’s Scoring Record
In a historic moment for women’s college basketball, Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes has officially surpassed Lynette Woodard to become the leading scorer in major women’s college basketball history. After scoring 33 points in Iowa’s 108-60 victory over Minnesota, Clark’s career total now stands at an impressive 3,650 points, surpassing Woodard’s record of 3,649 points.
Clark’s pursuit of this record has garnered significant attention, particularly as she recently surpassed former Washington guard Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division I scoring record on February 15. However, there has been scrutiny surrounding this record chase due to Woodard’s higher total. The NCAA, though, does not recognize Woodard’s scoring record in its own record books because she played at Kansas from 1978-81, just before the NCAA accepted women’s athletics in 1982.
During the late 60s and before 1982, female collegiate athletes participated in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), a separate entity that governed championships in 19 different women’s sports. While the NCAA has included non-NCAA stats in its totals and records in some areas, it has not done so for women’s college basketball players who played during the AIAW days.
For example, the NCAA includes championships for college football that pre-date the NCAA’s creation in 1910 and also recognizes individual coaching accomplishments from the AIAW era. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer recently surpassed former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in total wins with 1,203, but 42 of her wins came at Idaho during the AIAW era and are counted toward her NCAA-record win total.
Woodard, who was honored at Kansas this past weekend, expressed her desire for the accomplishments of herself and her fellow AIAW athletes to be included in the NCAA history and record books. She believes that the NCAA governing body should respect the players and their history by including them. Woodard stated, “This is the era of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They should include us. We deserve it.”
Woodard’s scoring mark is particularly remarkable as she achieved it before the introduction of the 3-point line. Averaging 26 points per game during her career at Kansas, she became a four-time All-American and the first woman to have her jersey retired. Woodard is also a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
With one more game in the regular season against No. 2 Ohio State at home on Sunday, Clark now stands just 17 points behind former LSU player Pete Maravich, the NCAA men’s all-time leading scorer. She is also 411 points behind former Francis Marion University player Pearl Moore, the AIAW small-school leading scorer.
Caitlin Clark’s remarkable achievements on the court have not only broken records but have also shed light on the need for recognition and inclusion of AIAW athletes in NCAA history. As women’s basketball continues to progress, it is crucial to acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments of all players, regardless of the era in which they competed. Caitlin Clark’s name will forever be etched in women’s college basketball history, and hopefully, her records will be blended with those who came before her in the pursuit of true equity and inclusion.