The “Caitlin Clark Effect” is in full-force as the No. 4 Iowa senior closes in on the NCAA women’s career scoring record

The GIST: Eight. More. Points. Barring absolute disaster, No. 4 Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will break the NCAA women’s basketball career scoring record in one of the sport’s most in-demand games ever — college or pro — when her Hawkeyes host Michigan tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET. Chills already.

Her impact: This hometown girlie put Iowa basketball on the map when she committed in 2019, and the rest is (literally) history. Clark leads the NCAA with a jaw-dropping 32.1 points per game — and, with her lethal jump shot and offensive vision, the reigning Player of the Year breaks records as often as The Bachelor breaks hearts.

• But the Hawkeye senior’s off-court records are even more impressive: She draws consistently astounding attendance and viewership, and her logo threes and swagger dominate social media, inspiring future hoopers left and right. The “Caitlin Clark Effect” is real.

The context: It’s important to note that Clark’s currently chasing WNBA star Kelsey Plum’s 3,527-point NCAA record: She still has a bunch of buckets to go before passing two pre-NCAA trailblazers: Kansas alum Lynette Woodard leads all Division I women with 3,649 points, and Francis Marion alum Pearl Moore holds the overall collegiate record with a mindblowing 4,061 points.

• As discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, these barrier-breaking women helped pave the way for Clark’s impending achievement, and giving them their flowers is crucial to celebrating Clark’s NCAA record-breaking bucket.