Fans endure long lines to see Caitlin Clark wow Target Center at Big Ten Tournament

The Iowa phenom had lines throughout the Minneapolis skyway to see her play on Friday night.

Caitlin Clark has become the main attraction in women's college basketball and with her Iowa Hawkeyes playing in this weekend's Big Ten Tournament, the phenom has taken over Minneapolis.

Clark and the Hawkeyes played their first game of the tournament against Penn State on Friday night and fans lined the skyways as many as two hours before game time just to see her take the court.

With plenty of black and yellow packing the Target Center, Clark's second-seeded Hawkeyes pounded seventh-seeded Penn State 95-62 but she didn't have her best performance.

It’s two hours before game time and this is the line to see Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Target Center 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/lhIMfWrE9C

— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) March 8, 2024

Clark missed her first 11 shots from 3-point range to begin the game and didn't make her first 3-pointer until 8:41 left to play in the fourth quarter. But Clark made a second 3-pointer with 3:27 to go which gave her 163 on the year, passing Steph Curry and Darius McGhee for the NCAA record for most 3-pointers in a season. 

The 3-pointer also gave Clark 511 3-pointers in her career, putting former Oklahoma guard Taylor Robertson's record within reach. Robertson hit 537 3-pointers during her career but also played five seasons due to a waiver created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) gives a fan her headband during the Big Ten Women's Basketball tournament quarterfinals at the Target Center on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minn :: © Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Clark is in her fourth season with the Hawkeyes and has declared for the WNBA Draft, where she is projected to be the top pick.

Clark will lead the Hawkeyes (27-4) into their next game against Michigan (20-12), but if you're looking to get in, you might be out of luck. While there were a few single general admission tickets for around $40 on StubHub Saturday morning, the lowest pair of tickets are going for $100. The highest price is $677.

The numbers show the type of star power that Clark is bringing to the Twin Cities this weekend and could be only the beginning if Iowa makes another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The Caitlin Clark Effect hits Minneapolis. Hawkeye fans started lining up at 5:30 AM to get into the Target Center for Iowa's 5:30 PM Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State. @johnsears is there and reports live at 4/5. pic.twitter.com/lJQ0n9Belo

— SoundOFF (@SoundOFF13) March 8, 2024