Caitlin Clark’s long-distance shooting prowess has made her one of the most electrifying players in college basketball. The Iowa star scored 31 points in the Hawkeyes’ round-of-16 win over Colorado on Friday night; we tracked her well-balanced attack, which included long 3-pointers, layups and jumpers, from all over the floor.
Caitlin Clark’s first-half scoring vs. Colorado
Zoomable composite image showing Clark scoring from various locations on the court during the first half.
Photographs and composite by Bedel Saget. Distances via CBB Analytics.
Clark is at her most lethal when shooting from far beyond the 3-point line, sometimes setting her feet just inside a halfcourt logo — as she did once on Friday night — and sending the ball over the outstretched arms of defenders.
Clark’s second-half scoring vs. Colorado
Zoomable composite image showing Clark scoring from various locations on the court during the second half. Shows her shooting her signature “logo” 3-pointer near half court.
Composite image by Marco Hernandez; Photographs by Bedel Saget. Distances via CBB Analytics.
Clark shot 11 of 22 from the field on Friday and 4 of 9 from 3-point range. She added eight assists and three rebounds and committed only four turnovers in Iowa’s 87-77 win.
Defenders hound Clark when she is close to the 3-point line — the arc is 22 feet 1¾ inches from the rim — so she often finds her best looks farther back. She has a better 3-point shooting percentage when attempting them 25 to 30 feet away from the rim than on her shots closer to the line, according to CBB Analytics.
Dangerous From Deep
Caitlin Clark’s shooting statistics from various distances this season.
Table showing the distance from the rim of Caitlin Clark’s shots this season. It shows values for makes, attempts and field goal percentage.
At the rim
Short-distance 2s
Medium-distance 2s
Long-distance 2s
Short-distance 3s
Long-distance 3s
Up to 4.5 feet
4.5+ to 10 feet
10+ to 15 feet
More than 15 feet
Up to 25 feet
25+ to 30 feet
68.7%
51.3%
34.8%
47.9%
33.9%
44.0%
At the rim
Short-distance 2s
Medium-distance 2s
Long-distance 2s
Short-distance 3s
Long-distance 3s
Within 4 ft
4-10 ft
10-15 ft
Farther than 15 ft
Within 25 ft
25-30 ft
68.7%
51.3%
34.8%
47.9%
33.9%
44.0%
Source: CBB Analytics
Clark has made 11 3-pointers in three games this tournament — from an average of 27 feet.
Her favorite time to shoot is when the game is in transition: off a rebound, a steal or even an inbound pass if she can quickly push the ball up the court. But on Friday night, she hit her four 3-pointers in halfcourt sets.
Iowa will play Louisville on Sunday night, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. There’s no doubt that Clark will be shooting from everywhere — so keep an eye out for another logo 3-pointer.
