History of Caitlin Clark in Timeline

Caitlin Clark is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, widely considered one of the greatest female collegiate players. While at the University of Iowa, she twice earned national female college basketball player of the year honors and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. Her impact has significantly boosted the popularity of women's basketball, leading to what's been called the 'Caitlin Clark effect'.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1993: Iowa Reached First Final Four Since 1993

In 1993, Iowa reached its first Final Four since 1993, marking a significant milestone for the program.

1996: Abby Roe's Record

In 1996, Abby Roe set the highest single-game point total in Iowa five-on-five girls' basketball history.

1999: Fastest to 2,000 Career Points

Starting in 1999, Clark tied Elena Delle Donne of Delaware as the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points.

2000: Fastest to 2,000 Career Points

Ending in 2000, Clark tied Elena Delle Donne of Delaware as the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points.

January 22, 2002: Caitlin Clark's Birth

On January 22, 2002, Caitlin Elizabeth Clark was born. She would later become a prominent American professional basketball player.

Others born on this day/year

2015: Samantha Logic's Triple-Double

In 2015, Samantha Logic recorded a triple-double for Iowa, the first since then until Caitlin Clark achieved one.

2017: FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship

In 2017, Caitlin Clark represented the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she averaged 8.8 points per game and helped her team win the gold medal.

2018: Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Championship

In the summer of 2018, Caitlin Clark led the All Iowa Attack to win the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League championship, scoring 23 points in a 64–61 victory over the Cal Storm in the final.

February 4, 2019: 60 Points Against Mason City High School

On February 4, 2019, during her junior season, Caitlin Clark scored 60 points in a 90–78 win against Mason City High School. This was the second-highest single-game point total in Iowa five-on-five girls' basketball history.

November 12, 2019: Commitment to Iowa

On November 12, 2019, Caitlin Clark announced that she would commit to play college basketball for Iowa, drawn to the team's style and coach Lisa Bluder's development of point guards.

2019: FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup

In 2019, Caitlin Clark played at the FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, where she averaged 5.3 points per game and won another gold medal with her team.

November 25, 2020: Collegiate Debut

On November 25, 2020, Caitlin Clark made her collegiate debut, recording 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in a 96–81 win over Northern Iowa.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Granted Extra Season of Eligibility

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, all players were granted an additional season of eligibility, which Clark ultimately chose to forgo when she declared for the 2024 WNBA draft.

January 6, 2021: 37 Points Against Minnesota

On January 6, 2021, Caitlin Clark recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a 92–79 win against Minnesota.

November 9, 2021: Sophomore Season Debut

On November 9, 2021, Caitlin Clark made her sophomore season debut, recording 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 93–50 win over New Hampshire.

2021: FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup MVP

In 2021, Caitlin Clark competed at the FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, leading the United States to the gold medal. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, and was named Most Valuable Player and made the All-Tournament Team.

2021: MVP at FIBA Under-19 Women's World Cup

In 2021, Caitlin Clark won a gold medal with the United States at the FIBA Under-19 Women's World Cup, where she was named Most Valuable Player.

January 2, 2022: 44 Points Against Evansville

On January 2, 2022, Caitlin Clark posted 44 points and eight assists in a 93–56 win over Evansville. She broke the Carver–Hawkeye Arena women's single-game scoring record and became the fastest Big Ten player to reach 1,000 career points.

January 16, 2022: Fourth Career Triple-Double

On January 16, 2022, Caitlin Clark recorded her fourth career triple-double, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 93–83 victory over Nebraska.

March 5, 2022: 41 Points in Big Ten Tournament Semifinals

On March 5, 2022, in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, Caitlin Clark recorded 41 points and nine rebounds in an 83–66 win over Nebraska.

March 2022: "Team Up Against Hunger" donation push

In March 2022, Caitlin Clark partnered with the Coralville Community Food Pantry in Coralville, Iowa, for a month-long donation push and meet-and-greet to "Team Up Against Hunger", encouraging $22 donations from the public as a nod to Clark's jersey number.

November 18, 2022: Ankle Injury vs. Kansas State

On November 18, 2022, Caitlin Clark suffered an ankle injury with 3.8 seconds left in an 84–83 loss to Kansas State, though she still recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

January 23, 2023: 28 Points Against Ohio State

On January 23, 2023, Caitlin Clark recorded 28 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in an 83–72 win over AP No. 2 Ohio State.

October 15, 2023: Clark Played in Crossover at Kinnick

On October 15, 2023, Clark played in Crossover at Kinnick, a preseason exhibition game against DePaul at Kinnick Stadium, recording a triple-double of 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 94–72 win. The game set a women's basketball attendance record with 55,646 attendees.

October 2023: Formed the Caitlin Clark Foundation

In October 2023, Caitlin Clark formed the Caitlin Clark Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission "to uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sport."

December 6, 2023: Clark Reached 3,000 Career Points

On December 6, 2023, Clark became the 15th Division I player to reach 3,000 career points, achieving the milestone in a 67–58 victory over Iowa State.

2023: ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press

In 2023 Caitlin Clark was filmed for the ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press, which followed three women's college basketball players, including Clark herself, during the 2023–24 season.

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2023: Most-viewed women's college basketball game

In 2023, Caitlin Clark helped the national championship game become the most-viewed women's college basketball game in history (9.9 million).

2023: Participation in John Deere Classic Pro-Am

In 2023, Caitlin Clark played in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am alongside professional golfers Zach Johnson and Ludvig Åberg, showcasing her skills in golf.

2023: Signed with Excel Sports Management and NIL Deals

In 2023, Caitlin Clark signed with Excel Sports Management. It was estimated that she would be one of the highest-earning college athletes from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.

2023: Clark Won National Player of the Year Awards

In 2023, Clark won all major national player of the year awards, including AP Player of the Year, the Honda Sports Award, the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year and the Wade Trophy. She was also named the 2023 Division I Women's Basketball Academic All-American of the Year.

2023: Life-size butter sculpture of Clark

In 2023, the Iowa State Fair displayed a life-size butter sculpture of Clark.

2023: Elite Eight Rematch Against LSU

In the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA tournament there was a rematch of the 2023 national championship game against LSU, where Clark had 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a 94–87 victory, leading the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final Four and a school-record 33 wins and being named Albany 2 Regional MOP. Her nine three-pointers tied the most by a player in an NCAA tournament game.

January 2, 2024: Clark Scored Game-Winning Three-Pointer Against Michigan State

On January 2, 2024, Clark scored 40 points, including a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, in a 76–73 victory over Michigan State.

January 31, 2024: Clark Broke Big Ten All-Time Scoring Record

On January 31, 2024, Clark posted 35 points and 10 assists in a 110–74 win over Northwestern, breaking the Big Ten all-time scoring record previously held by Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State.

February 2024: Top-selling college athlete on Fanatics

In February 2024, Caitlin Clark became the top-selling college athlete on the online sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, surpassing Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.

February 22, 2024: "Caitlin Clark Day"

On February 22, 2024, the Iowa House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution declaring February 22 as "Caitlin Clark Day" in the state, in reference to her jersey number.

February 29, 2024: Clark Declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft

On February 29, 2024, Clark announced her decision to declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, forgoing her fifth year of eligibility.

March 2024: Partnership with Panini and Gainbridge

In March 2024, Caitlin Clark became the first female athlete to have an exclusive partnership with Panini, signing a multi-year contract with the trading card company. In the same month, she signed a multiyear sponsorship with Gainbridge.

March 2024: Invitation to National Team Training Camp

In March 2024, Caitlin Clark was one of 14 players, and the only college player, to receive an invitation from the United States national team to the final training camp for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but she was unable to attend due to her participation in the 2024 NCAA tournament that same week.

April 15, 2024: WNBA Draft First Overall Pick

On April 15, 2024, Caitlin Clark was selected as the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, marking a significant milestone in her career.

April 2024: Cameo on Saturday Night Live

In April 2024, Caitlin Clark made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live. She criticized co-anchor Michael Che's past jokes about women's basketball and wrote new jokes for him to read aloud.

April 2024: Report of Nike contract and potential signature shoe

In April 2024, it was reported that Caitlin Clark and Nike were negotiating an eight-year, $28 million contract, which would include a signature shoe deal.

May 2024: Graduation from University of Iowa

In May 2024, Caitlin Clark graduated from the University of Iowa, where she majored in marketing, marking the completion of her academic journey.

May 2024: Executive Producer on Full Court Press

In May 2024, Caitlin Clark served as an executive producer on the ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press, which followed three women's college basketball players, including Clark herself, during the 2023–24 season.

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May 2024: Deal with Wilson Sporting Goods

In May 2024, Caitlin Clark signed a multi-year deal with Wilson Sporting Goods and became the first athlete to release a signature Wilson basketball collection since Michael Jordan; and the first female athlete to ever do so.

June 7, 2024: 30 Points and Seven Three-Pointers

On June 7, 2024, Caitlin Clark scored 30 points and tied Crystal Robinson's rookie single-game record with seven three-pointers. She also had eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals, leading her team to an 85–83 win over the Washington Mystics.

June 2024: Clark Nominated for Three ESPY Awards

In June 2024, Clark was nominated for three ESPY Awards, recognizing her outstanding achievements in college athletics.

July 11, 2024: Clark Won Two ESPY Awards

At the 2024 ESPY Awards held on July 11, 2024, Clark won the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award for a second time and the Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY Award.

August 18, 2024: New WNBA Rookie Assist Record

On August 18, 2024, Caitlin Clark set a new WNBA rookie assist record, surpassing the 225 assist record previously held by Ticha Penicheiro since 1998, during a 92–75 victory over the Seattle Storm.

November 2024: Joined NWSL ownership group

In November 2024, Caitlin Clark joined the ownership group intending to bring an expansion National Women's Soccer League team to Cincinnati.

December 2024: Athlete of the Year Awards

In December 2024, Caitlin Clark was named Athlete of the Year by Time magazine and Female Athlete of the Year by the AP, recognizing her outstanding achievements in sports.

2024: Raised over $100,000 for Coralville Community Food Pantry

As of 2024, Caitlin Clark has helped raise over $100,000 for Coralville Community Food Pantry, and the nonprofit continues to frequently receive $22 donations.

2024: NCAA Tournament Viewership Records

At the 2024 NCAA tournament, Caitlin Clark's final three games each broke the women's college basketball viewership record, culminating with 18.9 million viewers for the national championship game. It was the most-viewed basketball game at any level since 2019 and the first women's NCAA tournament final to draw more viewers than the men's final.

2024: Clark Surpassed Stephen Curry for Most Three-Pointers in a Single Season

During the Hawkeyes' quarterfinal win over Penn State at the 2024 Big Ten tournament, Clark surpassed Stephen Curry of Davidson and Darius McGhee of Liberty for the most three-pointers in a single season by any Division I player regardless of gender. Iowa reached the national championship game for a second consecutive season, where Clark scored 18 points in the first quarter, the most by a player in a single period in championship game history. She also surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee for the NCAA tournament career scoring record.

2024: Included in Forbes list

In 2024, Caitlin Clark was included in the World's 100 Most Powerful Women list by Forbes, becoming the first basketball player and the second athlete in the past 20 years to appear on the list. In the same year, she was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and the Sports Illustrated Power List.

2024: Selected First Overall in WNBA Draft

In 2024, Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft. In her first season, she won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award, made the All-WNBA First Team and WNBA All-Star Game, set league single-season and single-game records in assists, broke the rookie scoring record, and became the first rookie to achieve a triple-double.

2024: Changing the dimensionality of the game

In 2024, Jason Gay wrote that Caitlin Clark is changing the dimensionality of women's basketball because of the distance she can shoot from and how well she can pass.

January 2025: Teamed up with Scholastic and United States of Readers

In January 2025 on Clark's 23rd birthday, the Caitlin Clark Foundation teamed up with Scholastic and their national literacy program, United States of Readers. Additionally, the foundation announced its plan to donate 22,000 books to under-resourced elementary and middle schools in both Iowa and Indiana through the United States of Readers program.

February 2, 2025: Jersey Retirement

On February 2, 2025, following the Hawkeyes' win over No. 4 USC, Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey was retired by the University of Iowa, making her the third player in program history to receive this honor.

February 9, 2025: Appeared in Nike Super Bowl commercial

On February 9, 2025, Caitlin Clark appeared in a 90-second Nike commercial in the 2025 Super Bowl featuring some of the world's top female athletes.

March 2025: Introduced the "Community Courts Initiative"

In March 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation began a partnership with Musco and introduced the foundation's new "Community Courts Initiative". The foundation announced plans for new Musco Mini-Pitch Systems to be installed in four middle schools within the Des Moines Public Schools district. Also in March 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation teamed up with Hy-Vee to raise funds to support childhood nutrition for local food banks across the Midwest via a month-long donation drive.

April 2025: Hy-Vee released Cool Blue Gatorade bottle

In April 2025, Hy-Vee released a limited-edition Cool Blue Gatorade bottle, featuring Clark, sold exclusively at Hy-Vee.

May 2025: Presented donation to Feeding America

In May 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation presented a $300,802 donation to Feeding America at the Food Bank of Iowa from their round-up campaign. The donation is estimated to provide about 3 million meals to food insecure communities in the Midwest via eighteen Feeding America partner food banks.

May 17, 2025: Triple-Double Performance

On May 17, 2025, Caitlin Clark opened her second year in the WNBA with a dominant performance, recording her third career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, contributing to the Fever's 93–58 win over the Chicago Sky.

May 26, 2025: Quadriceps Strain Announcement

On May 26, 2025, the Fever announced that Caitlin Clark had strained her left quadriceps and would be out for at least two weeks, impacting her playing schedule.

June 2025: Debuted Nike Kobe 6 Protro "The Bellas"

In June 2025, Caitlin Clark debuted another PE with Nike, a Kobe 6 Protro called "The Bellas", in honor of Clark's family dog.

June 2025: ESPY Awards Nominations

In June 2025, Caitlin Clark was nominated for two ESPY Awards: Best Record-Breaking Performance (for breaking the WNBA records for single-game assists and single-season assists) and Best WNBA Player.

June 26, 2025: Groin Injury Announcement

On June 26, 2025, the Fever announced Caitlin Clark would miss that day's home game against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a left groin injury, marking her sixth absence of the season and raising concerns about her physical condition.

August 2025: Partnership with Stanley

In August 2025, Caitlin Clark became the first female athlete to form a multi-year partnership with Stanley.

August 25, 2025: Introduced as Nike Signature Athlete

On August 25, 2025, Nike introduced Caitlin Clark as their newest signature athlete and revealed her signature logo. Her logo apparel collection is to drop in fall 2025 and her signature shoe and apparel collection in 2026.

October 2025: Associated Press selection as one of the greatest collegiate players

In October 2025, the Associated Press selected Caitlin Clark as one of the greatest collegiate players in the women’s poll era, alongside Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, and Breanna Stewart as the starting five players.

December 2025: First Senior National Training Camp

In December 2025, Caitlin Clark participated in her first senior national training camp, marking an important step in her international career.

2025: Inducted into Dowling Catholic's Hall of Fame

In the fall of 2025, Caitlin Clark was inducted into Dowling Catholic's Hall of Fame.

February 2026: Named to FIBA World Cup Qualification Tournament Roster

In February 2026, Caitlin Clark was named to the roster to represent USA in the FIBA World Cup qualification tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, further solidifying her role on the national team.

2026: Alleged Participation in Internet Invitational

In 2026, Caitlin Clark has purportedly agreed to participate in the Internet Invitational, a golf event organized by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports with an alleged prize of ten million dollars.