Iowa’s Caitlin Clark Considering Playing Five College Seasons

The standout guard might use her bonus COVID year of eligibility to play two more seasons with the Hawkeyes.

Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark revealed Monday that she is considering delaying her professional career for another season as she might use her COVID year of eligibility.

As a junior, Clark will play at least one more collegiate season before declaring for the WNBA draft. (Clark, 21, won’t be eligible for the WNBA draft until 2024.) That could easily turn into two more seasons if Clark decides to extend her collegiate career.

“That’s where I want to be [the WNBA], but I have another year here and possibly one more after that just because of COVID,” Clark said on Monday’s episode of the Dan Patrick Show. “I probably will have to make a decision on that sometime next year. I really have no clue what I’m going to do, stay for an extra year or leave after next year.”

Clark said NIL deals won’t be a contributing factor in her decision because she expects many of those sponsorships to carry over into her professional career. 

Clark made headlines over the weekend as she led the Hawkeyes to a 85–83 win over Indiana with a three-point buzzer beater. 

As a sophomore last season, Clark made history multiple times. She became the first women’s basketball player to lead the nation in both points (863) and assists (257). She reached 1,500 career points faster than any men’s or women’s player has in the past 20 years, and then she tied the record for the fastest women’s player to reach 2,000 points. Finally, she joined the list of just 10 women’s college basketball players in history to record back-to-back triple-doubles.

If Clark’s collegiate career continues into a fifth year, it’s possible she could break some of the all-time records in women’s college basketball. Current Aces star Kelsey Plum holds the NCAA Division I women’s record for most career points with 3,527. As of Monday, Clark already boasts 2,452 career points. She likely would break Plum’s record if she sticks with the Hawkeyes for two more seasons.

The junior also would be on track to become the all-time leader for three-pointers made. She currently has 302, and the record sits at 398 by UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

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