Clark is 33 points away from Woodard’s record, and 51 points shy of Maravich’s.

In a recent segment, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt offered a different perspective on the ongoing conversations about Iowa women’s basketball standout Caitlin Clark’s place in college basketball history.

As Clark continues her ascent in the record books, comparisons with legendary figures like Pete Maravich have become a focal point. However, Van Pelt suggests a different, perhaps more apt comparison, with Lynette Woodard, a trailblazer in women’s basketball.

Woodard, whose collegiate career at Kansas spanned from 1978 to 1981, set records before the NCAA governed women’s athletics. Van Pelt highlighted the differences in comparing eras, especially given Maravich’s three-year career and the absence of a three-point line during his time.

“Now I understand why the focus will shift to Clark trying to catch Pistol Pete Maravich … but he only played three years and there was no three-point line, so we’re not talking apples to apples comparisons … but comparisons are the thief of joy anyway,” Van Pelt said.

Van Pelt said that it made more sense to align Clark with Woodard, as it isn’t just about setting a benchmark but is also a nod to the history and evolution of women’s basketball.

“I would just ask this, if we want to compare Caitlin to anyone, why don’t we do so in a way that acknowledges Lynette Woodard … before the NCAA became the governing body of women’s athletics … It’s not like it was olden times and it’s not like she played for some remote outpost,” Van Pelt said.

Caitlin Clark on track to break both Woodard’s and Maravich’s records

Clark passed Kelsey Plum’s Divison 1 NCAA women’s basketball scoring record of 3,527 Feb. 15 against Michigan. She is now 51 points away from Maravich’s record of 3,667 points, and 33 points of Woodard’s record of 3,649.

Clark has accumulated 3,617 career points, leaving her just 33 points shy of overtaking Woodard’s record for the highest scorer in women’s major college basketball. Woodard, who competed before the NCAA era from 1977 to 1981, holds the record with 3,649 points under the AIAW. Meanwhile, Pearl Moore holds the record for all-time women scorers at 4,061 points.

Additionally, Clark is 51 points away from surpassing the all-time NCAA Division I record for both men and women, currently held by LSU’s Pete Maravich with 3,667 points. Maravich set this record between 1967 and 1970,

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