Lynette Woodard and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Getty Images)
Women’s basketball legend Lynette Woodard recently declared that Caitlin Clark hasn’t actually broken her scoring record because of two overlooked factors.
The Hall of Famer played for Kansas in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) from 1977-81, scoring 3,649 points. However, she was a bit of an unknown figure as the NCAA did not recognize her record, having taken control of women’s college basketball during the 1981-82 season.
Clark passed Woodard two weeks after surpassing Kelsey Plum’s 5,527 points with a 49-point performance against Michigan in mid-February. She would move past Pete Maravich’s 3,667 in Iowa’s regular-season finale against Ohio State.
Her college total reached 3,951 in Sunday’s loss to South Carolina.
Woodward was in attendance when Clark broke the record against the Buckeyes but she doesn’t feel like Clark’s record is on par with hers given that she played with a men’s-sized basketball and there was no three-point line (that was established in 1987).
Women’s basketballs were also made smaller in 1984.
“I’ll just go ahead and get the elephant out of the room: I don’t think my record has been broken because you can’t duplicate what you’re not duplicating,” she said at a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association convention on Saturday. “Unless you come with a men’s basketball and a 2-point shot, hey, you know.“
Lynette Woodward Clarified Her Comments On Social Media
Lynette Woodward is correct in claiming that her record cannot be duplicated because of the factors she brought up.
But she’s since taken to social media to clarify her comments and reiterate that she’s a huge fan of Caitlin’s.
“My message was: a lot has changed, on and off the court, which makes it difficult to compare statistical accomplishments from different eras,” she wrote. “Each is a snapshot in time.
“Caitlin holds the scoring record. I salute her and will be cheering for her throughout the rest of her career.”
Woodard was a four-time All-American at Kansas who was awarded the Wade Trophy in 1981. She captained the gold medal-winning Olympic team in 1984 and, the following year, became the first woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters before heading overseas to play.
The 64-year-old played in the WNBA for two years, including its inaugural campaign in 1997, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
News
Taylor Swift sings two diss tracks on nemesis Scooter Braun’s birthday… one day after he announced his retirement from music management
Taylor Swift fans are convinced she shaded her longtime nemesis, Scooter Braun, during her latest surprise acoustic song set on The Eras Tour on Tuesday night. While performing at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the singer, 34, performed a mashup of her two…
11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Allegedly Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow
The last one is just downright odd. Kathy Hutchins / Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com Among billionaires, Elon Musk is perhaps one of the most eccentric and well-known around the world. His merry band of supporters that worship his every move and defend…
Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s Tortured Relationship
Prince Charles and Diana’s engagement, turbulent marriage, and subsequent divorce captivated the world. Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. KYPROS/GETTY IMAGES. The story of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, is not that of star-crossed lovers. Continuously recounted in film, television, tell-all books,…
Kate Middleton photo controversy: New details show when the photo was edited
Kate issued an apology after news agencies retracted a royal family photo. Princess Kate apologizes amid family photo controversy ABC’s James Longman is at Buckingham Palace with the latest on the royal family. As the photo controversy around Kate Middleton continues to grow, new…
Is Kate and William’s relationship healthy? Body language expert weighs in
Expert reveals intimate moment between Kate and Wills The Prince and Princess of Wales at the Trooping the Color event.LAPRESSE Body language expert Judi James has offered her insights into the dynamic between Kate and Wills, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,…
Princess Diana conspiracy theories: Eight reasons people believe the crash in Paris wasn’t all it seems
More than 20 years on, conspiracy theories continue to rage – despite almost all of them being proven decisively wrong SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy On…
End of content
No more pages to load