Caitlin Clark triple-doubles: Iowa star posts 17th of her career but trails Sabrina Ionescu on all-time list

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Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu
(Getty Images)

Unless you live under a rock, you've heard about Caitlin Clark's scoring prowess.

The Iowa superstar is on the cusp of breaking Pete Maravich's all-time college basketball scoring record. Just 18 points separate her from the milestone, and she is averaging an NCAA-leading 32.1 points per game this season. With one regular-season game left on her schedule, not to mention the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, the record is all but hers.

But don't let her scorching scoring ability distract from her all-around game. She also leads the NCAA with 8.5 assists per game, almost a full assist per game better than her nearest competitor. And while her rebounding isn't at the top of the pack, she's no slouch there either, with 7.3 per game.

All of those skills came together Wednesday as Clark notched yet another triple-double, her second in as many games for the Hawkeyes. Here's what you need to know about Clark's triple-double history.

MORE: When will Caitlin Clark pass Pete Maravich for NCAA scoring record?

How many triple-doubles does Caitlin Clark have in her career?

Clark posted the 17th triple-double of her career in Wednesday's 108-60 win against Minnesota, with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Iowa has won all 17 games in which Clark has had a triple-double

That point total allowed Clark to break Lynette Woodard's unofficial scoring record for Division I women's college basketball. She already smashed Kelsey Plum's official NCAA record, but Woodard played for Kansas in the pre-NCAA era of women's sports.

Clark's triple-double against the Golden Gophers was her second in as many games and her sixth of the season.

NCAA career triple-double leaders

Clark is putting up astonishing numbers in her senior season, but she'd need a truly unprecedented run to move into the top spot on the career triple-double leaderboard for college basketball.

The Iowa star has six triple-doubles in 29 games so far this season. She still trails Oregon great turned WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu by nine. Ionescu notched an astronomical 26 triple-doubles in her four seasons with the Ducks, more than double any player who had come before her.

Even with Clark making gains, Ionescu's record seems safe — unless Clark decides to come back for a fifth season with the Hawkeyes. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, the Liberty guard has continued to post triple-doubles at the professional level: She has three so far, making her one of just five WNBA players with multiple career triple-doubles.

MORE: Caitlin Clark vs. Sabrina Ionescu: How the star players compare

While the NBA dominates the WNBA in this statistical category, the women's game rules at the collegiate level. Just one men's basketball player ranks among the top six in career triple-doubles: Kyle Collinsworth, who played for BYU from 2010 through 2016. (He sat out two years while on a religious mission.)

Rank Player School Triple-doubles Career
1. Sabrina Ionescu Oregon 26 2016-2020
2. Caitlin Clark Iowa 17 2020-present
3. Kyle Collinsworth BYU 12 2010-16
4. Chastadie Barrs Lamar 9 2015-19
5. Suzie McConnell Penn State 7 1984-88
6. Louella Tomlinson Saint Mary's 7 2007-11

Six players are tied with six career triple-doubles, two men's players (Shaquille O'Neal LSU; Shawn James, Northeastern/Duquesne) and four women's players (Danielle Carson, Youngstown State; Samantha Logic, Iowa; Nicole Powell, Stanford; Alyssa Thomas, Maryland).

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Kate Yanchulis is a senior editor at The Sporting News.
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