Caitlin Clark stunned the world on Friday by leading Iowa to a 77-73 upset over South Carolina in the Final Four of the 2023 Women's NCAA Tournament. The Naismith Player of the Year eviscerated the Gamecocks' defense with 41 points and eight assists, and for good measure she added six rebounds and a steal.
When Clark's team needed her most, she delivered, scoring or assisting on all of Iowa's 18 fourth-quarter points to stave off a South Carolina comeback effort. The performance was a sight to behold, and it's historically significant as well: no player since UConn's Paige Bueckers in February 2021 had even scored 30 against the Gamecocks, and Clark not only cleared that mark by a wide margin, but also became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to have back-to-back 40 point games.
Clark will be back in action for the final time this season to play LSU in the national championship on Sunday. But before the dust settles on her unbelievable Final Four performance against South Carolina, let's see where it stands among the highest scoring of all time.
Top scoring performances in women's Final Four history
- Sheryl Swoopes -- Texas Tech (47 vs. Ohio State in 1993, national championship)
- Caitlin Clark -- Iowa (41 vs. South Carolina in 2023, national semifinal)
- Nnemkadi Ogwumike -- Stanford (38 vs. Oklahoma in 2010, national semifinal)
- Chasity Melvin -- NC State (37 vs. Louisiana Tech in 1998, national semifinal)
- Maya Moore -- UConn (36 vs. Notre Dame in 2011, national semifinal)
- Mary Ostrowski -- Tennessee (35 vs. Cheyney in 1984, national semifinal)
- Maya Moore -- UConn (34 vs. Baylor in 2010, national semifinal)
- Clarissa Davis -- Texas (32 vs. Louisiana Tech in 1986, national semifinal)
- Jackie Young -- Notre Dame (32 vs. UConn in 2018, national semifinal)
