Just like the rest of us, Kelsey Plum was certain that Caitlin Clark would break her NCAA scoring record during Iowa's game against Nebraska on Sunday.
So certain, in fact, that she seemed to schedule a congratulatory post before the record was actually broken.
In the midst of Iowa's stunning 82-79 defeat at the hands of Nebraska on Sunday, Plum posted on X: "@CaitlinClark22 Congratulations on the record, and really your entire season! I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love! See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later ??"
@CaitlinClark22 Congratulations on the record, and really your entire season! I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love! See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later ???
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) February 11, 2024
It was a nice post, and its final line appears to be a gentle nudge for Clark to decide on whether she'll declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft after Iowa's season ends. However, the problem with the congratulations was that Clark hadn't broken the scoring record yet.
In fact, she didn't break Plum's scoring record at all. After putting up 31 points through the game's first three quarters — including 14 points in the third quarter alone — Clark went ice-cold in the fourth, scoring zero points in the final frame and finishing the upset loss seven points short of Plum's NCAA scoring record of 3,527.
Plum did rectify her premature congratulations with a subsequent post: "My bad next game ?" less than an hour after her initial mention of Clark was posted.
My bad next game ? https://t.co/waUVTzGfWr
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) February 11, 2024
Like Plum, the entire college basketball community was hoping that Clark would break the record on Sunday. Although she came up short, it's all but certain that Clark — who needs eight more points to overtake Plum for the scoring record — will do so Thursday, when Iowa squares off against Michigan at home. That game starts at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Peacock.
Clark didn't seem keen to discuss the record during her postgame press conference. When asked about Thursday's game, Clark said, "Obviously, it will be special, but I think the biggest focus right now is just finding ways to grow and finding ways to get better. Another case of us blowing another lead, and that's something that has to stop. We could have executed a lot better."
While Clark's record chase doesn't seem to be bothering her the way it did for Plum, she is clearly disappointed by her team's defeat. Clark will look to put both the loss and the scoring record in the rearview mirror Thursday.
