Clark became the all-time leading D1 basketball points scorer with 3,685 points during her career so far.
LSU basketball coach Kim Mulkey has played down comparisons between Caitlin Clark and Pete Maravich.
Clark made history recently when she became the highest scoring player in D1 basketball history, breaking Maravich’s record. The Iowa star now has 3,685 career points, surpassing Maravich’s 3,367 from his time at LSU.
Caitlin Clark loses composure when Maya Moore came to watch her break NCAA scoring record
However, the comparison is not as straightforward as it seems. Maravich did not have a three-point line to utilize, while he achieved the points total during a three-year stint.
That has urged LSU coach Mulkey to play down comparisons, despite being blown away by Clark’s evident talent.
“I don’t look at comparing apples to oranges. What [Caitlin] Clark has done is unbelievable and her name will be right up there at the top,” she told On3.
“But he played over here with no three-point line, three years and I don’t think we need to make too much of ‘oh she passed him’ because he’s a man. She’s who she is and that’s awesome, and her lord knows when I played against her I was like are you kidding me? What a generational talent.”
She added: “Pete Maravich could do things with the basketball that I had never seen done in my life. Who can go behind your back, between your legs, and he could just see things ahead of his time?”
Record-breaking achievements
Speaking after breaking the record, Clark said: “When they announced it and everybody screamed, that’s when I knew. It’s pretty cool.”
Clark also beat the women’s NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers with 156, surpassing Lynette Woodard’s record along the way. Though, Woodard is delighted to see what Clark is achieving.
“It’s just a great time for women’s basketball, and Caitlin is leading the way,” she said. “As she was chipping away [at my record], I said ‘records are meant to be broken, but also, they are meant to be honored.’
“Because of her, my records are being honored. She has gone beyond that now and has gone beyond Pete [Maravich]. Hopefully, I passed that baton for her to go ahead and burst through that ceiling. I’m so happy for her.”
