Last week, Clark surpassed Kelsey Plum’s record as the leading scorer in women’s basketball. A few months ago, Sheryl Swoopes, a four-time WNBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, caused a media frenzy with comments regarding Caitlin Clark.

When Sheryl Swoopes was at her best, there was no one better - ESPN

Swoopes appeared on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast alongside former NBA player Gilbert Arenas last October. At that time, it seemed increasingly likely that Clark would surpass Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s basketball scoring record during the 2023-24 season.

In the podcast discussion, Swoopes claimed that Clark had already utilized an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19, implying that she had played “extra” games to achieve the record. However, this assertion was later found to be incorrect.

Caitlin Clark, star Iowa basketball player, Chiefs fan on ManningCast

During the conversation, Swoopes also inaccurately stated Clark’s age as 25, suggesting she was competing against younger college players. Additionally, Swoopes alleged that Clark was averaging 40 shots per game.

Clark broke Plum’s record by sinking a half-court three-pointer during a Hawkeyes home game against Michigan on Feb. 15. She finished the game with 49 points, setting a new single-game scoring record for Iowa.

Caitlin Clark in February 2024

Shortly after Clark claimed the top spot on the scoring list, Swoopes disclosed that LSU’s Angel Reese facilitated a discussion between her and the Iowa star.

“Honestly, a couple of weeks ago I reached out to Angel (Reese) and had a really good conversation with Angel over the phone and sent a message to Caitlin,” Swoopes said on Feb. 18 during the television broadcast of the Baylor–Texas Tech basketball game.

“And she responded. She and I went back and forth. I won’t share what she said, I’ll leave that to her if she wants to share.”
Caitlin Clark after breaking record
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, celebrates after breaking the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 15, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images))

Swoopes characterized her past remarks about Clark as a “mistake” and praised the Hawkeyes star for her contributions to women’s basketball.

“But I will say what I said to her was I made a mistake in saying it was your fifth year when it is your fourth,” Swoopes said. “Have nothing but respect for what she has done for the game. And, you know, if she wants to share what her response was and how that conversation went I’ll leave that to her. But it was a really good conversation.”

“When you look at this list, though, there is some talent on this list,” Swoopes added when the broadcast displayed a list of players Clark passed en route to becoming the top scorer.

“But for sure, Caitlin Clark, what she, not only what she did in that game in breaking the record, what she continues to do every single day for women’s basketball is to be commended and congratulations to her on setting that new record.”
In February 2024, Caitlin Clark, wearing jersey number 22 for the Iowa Hawkeyes, stood amidst the roaring crowd as she shattered the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record during the match against the Michigan Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on February 15, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa.

The recent victory against the Wolverines boosted the Hawkeyes’ season record to 23-3. Clark, along with the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes, is set to journey to Bloomington later this week for a showdown against Indiana.