Caitlin Clark Breaks The All-Time Scoring Record

"Ya'll knew I was gonna shoot a logo three for the record, come on now," Iowa star Caitlin Clark said, via CBS Sports. Last night was a historical event in the world of sports. Early in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark nailed a deep three-point shot to break the all-time scoring record in NCAA women's basketball.

It happened early in the game, in fact. With Iowa slightly down to Michigan 6- 5, Clark quickly dribbled the ball upcourt and fired up a three-point shoot at the edge of the Hawkeye logo. Boom. Clark's long-range jump fired through the hoop and the arena broke into a massive ovation. Clark, spun to the sideline shuffling, let out a brief celebratory yell, and then jumped right back into the action.

On the heels of last year's amazing season by Clark, this record was met with much anticipation and excitement. Getting the eight points she needed to get 3,528 points Thursday night did not take Clark very long. She needed just eight points to break Kelsey Plum's record of  3,527 points. Plum played for Washington between 2013 - 2017. Clark scored the first eight points of the game for Iowa, got the record out of the way, and then went on to net 49 points in the game. Clark now sits alone at the top with 3,569 career points.

Iowa won the game 106 - 89 and is holding on tight to that #4 ranking heading into the last month of the season.

"She lets me be Caitlin, and for that I am forever grateful," Clark said to Holly Rowe of ESPN regarding her coach Lisa Bluder. Shortly after the record-breaking shot, Bluder called a timeout to allow Clark, her teammates, and the crowd to enjoy the moment. Post-game, all of Clark's teammates were sporting a Nike number 22 t-shirt.

Throughout Clark's playing days at Iowa she has exuded a contagious self-confidence. Amidst crowds chanting "overrated," Clark's work ethic has allowed her to persevere and ultimately inspire a future generation.

For example, this morning, the first thing my 10-year-old daughter asked me was, "Did Caitlin Clark break the record last night?" I explained to her that not only did she break it, she did it her way and then went on to dominate the game. Right before my daughter left for school, we spoke of her lacrosse practice this afternoon. With much excitement, she told me today is uniform day. I responded by asking which number she wanted. "22!" she exclaimed before I could even finish my question. "After practice, when I get home, I am going to practice wall ball in the backyard right away in my 22 jersey," she concluded.

This weekend the NBA will take over Indianapolis for All-Star weekend. On Saturday night, the Slam Dunk contest will serve as the grand finale of the day two events at Lucas Oil Stadium. That got us thinking about NBA stars we'd love to see in Slam Dunk contest.

Before we crack into the list, let's take a look at the modern landscape of the NBA dunk contest. The biggest complaint about the event is that the biggest names in basketball rarely participate. Why is that? Well, last year at this time, Front Office Sports dove into this exact subject. "The last time a player from that season’s All-Star Game actually participated in the Dunk Contest was in 2017, when the Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan competed," they said.

Front Office Sports went on to list a lack of creative options, scoring, and top players not participating in the dunk contest as reasons why the competition had declined. "I think they’re maybe afraid to lose,” NBA Hall of Famer, and slam dunk legend, Dominique Wilkins said via Front Office Sports. Of course, potential injury could also be considered.

Though there has been a lack of star power in the Slam Dunk contest, there have been a few shining moments as of late. Last season, there was much confusion as to why the NBA was allowing a G League (minor league) player to participate in Mac McClung. Now with the Orlando Magic franchise, McClung was called up by his then-team, the 76ers, a few days before the contest. He would go on to win and thrilling fashion. Furthermore, McClung is just six-foot-two.

The NBA Slam Dunk contest will often be associated with the likes of Wilkins and Michael Jordan. In the late '80s, these legends made our jaws drop dunking the ball during all-star weekend. Sure, we have had Vince Carter and the late great Kobe Bryant go in it and win it. However, you can't help but think about what might have been, if these stars had won. Some of them came close, while others opted out.

Nonetheless, we do have some surprising and well-received news when it comes to the 2024 contest. Jaylen Brown, one of the biggest stars in the game, is participating. He will compete against last year's winner in McClung. In addition, Jacob Toppin from the Knicks and Jamie Jaquez. Jr of the Heat are in. Perhaps with Brown participating, we will begin to see the trend of more all-stars opting into this fan-favorite event in the future.

Here are five players we'd love to see do their thing in the NBA Slam Dunk contest.

Now in his fourth season, you can't help but feel like we've been Zion-deprived. Injuries doomed Williamson's first three years. In fact, he's only played in 114 games. However, as we've seen so far this year, Williamson is explosive. An electrifying dunk contest performance can allow us to quickly forget about the start of his NBA career.

Speaking of high-flying ballers, Morant has a burst to his game that not many others (if any) have. Similar to Zion Williamson, the past year or two has been marred by outside distractions that have taken away from Morant's game. Here's to hoping his hoop game is back in focus. He can show us that been taking the next dunk contest by storm.

Edwards has quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the game. He's taking the Minnesota Timberwolves to levels that they have not been to since Kevin Garnett was in the building. It would be a great statement to enter the dunk contest at this stage of his career. To some degree, it would be similar timing to when Jordan and Wilkinson participated and won.

Now, this might be a stretch only because Brunson is probably more suited for the three-point or skills contest. The Knicks guard is now an all-star and one of the most dynamic players in the game this season. In addition, he's loved by the fans and the roaring support from the crowd always makes the dunk contest that much more of an entertaining experience. Finally, the Knicks could really use the spotlight.

King James may arguably be past the prime of his career when this opportunity would make sense. For years, fans wanted him in, and although it came close, James never jumped in. He certainly doesn't need to do it. It just feels like the one thing he has not accomplished in the league. Kobe Bryant competed in the dunk contest in 1997. And he won.