Iowa’s Clark also dazzles with passes
It’s no secret University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is scoring at a historic rate. But there’s something else noteworthy, too: According to Big Ten Network analyst Meghan McKeown, Clark is also passing the ball on a different level.
“Caitlin Clark is playing ‘ Guitar Hero’ on expert mode while everyone else is playing it on easy mode,” McKeown said.
“That’s how I would describe her passing ability.”
McKeown has watched Clark enough to notice the game seems to move in slow-motion for the reigning women’s college basketball Naismith Player of the Year, allowing her to shred defenses with a deluge of dimes.
Clark leads the nation in total assists this season with 170 and surpassed the all-time Big Ten assists record of 901 on Dec. 30, tallying 10 against Minnesota. She averages 7.7 assists per game, also best in the nation this season.
Fans in sold-out arenas love the logo 3s and chase for Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s scoring record, but it’s the way the Iowa guard can set her teammates up to score – taking advantage of all the attention she draws from defenses – that makes many consider Clark the most complete offensive player in women’s college basketball.
Another 10 assists against Northwestern on Wednesday in No. 4 Iowa’s 110-74 win displayed just how much Clark loves to pass.
“When I can reach that 10 assists mark, we’re very, very successful as a team,” Clark said.
“It opens up the floor for the other shooters that we have, and that’s what our offense is all about. It’s a read and react offense, setting up your teammates for really great shots. And that’s what makes it fun.”