Has a player recorded a triple-double in women's NCAA Tournament? Iowa's Caitlin Clark makes history

Caitlin Clark put on a performance for the ages in Iowa’s Elite Eight victory over Louisville on Sunday.

The junior guard scored 41 points on 11-of-19 shooting — including 8 of 14 from 3 — while adding 10 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals in the Hawkeyes' 97-83 victory. It was not only the first triple-double in the history of the women’s NCAA Tournament, but also the first triple-double in tournament history to feature at least 30 points.

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That wasn’t the only history Clark made Sunday: She also became the first player in Division I history with 900 points and 300 assists in a single season:

More importantly, Clark led Iowa to its first Final Four since the 1993 season. She has yet another game — against top overall seed South Carolina or Big Ten rival Maryland — to add to her already-incredible legacy.

The Sporting News looks at Clark’s triple-double performance and where it ranks in NCAA Tournament history:

Has a player recorded a triple-double in the women’s NCAA Tournament?

Prior to Clark’s 41-10-12 game vs. Louisville, no other player had recorded a triple-double in the history of the women’s tournament.

MORE: When is Caitlin Clark eligible to enter the WNBA Draft?

Not even former Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu, who leads Division I basketball with 26 career triple-doubles, managed to do so in the postseason. Her closest such game came in her junior season, when she led the Ducks to an Elite Eight victory over Mississippi State with 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal.

How many triple-doubles does Caitlin Clark have?

Clark is now third all time among Division I’s career triple-double leaders, men or women. She has 11, trailing only Ionescu (26) and BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth (12). No other player in Division I history has more than nine.

Clark earned her 10th triple-double in the Big Ten Tournament championship on March 5 in a 105-72 victory over Ohio State. She scored 30 points, dished 17 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory. It was the first triple-double in Big Ten title game history.

MORE: Caitlin Clark sets records, leads Hawkeyes to first Final Four since 1993

Players with NCAA Tournament triple-doubles

With Clark’s performance against Louisville, nine players have recorded 10 triple-doubles in an NCAA Tournament game — eight men and one woman.

Clark is the first player since Murray State’s Ja Morant in 2019 to produce a triple-double in the NCAA Tournament. She also has the opportunity to become the second player since Michigan State’s Draymond Green to record two during March Madness (Green did it in 2011 and 2012). A repeat performance for the Iowa star would also make her the first to record two triple-doubles in a single tournament.

Here’s a chronological look at each of the previous triple-double performances in NCAA Tournament history:

Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/caitlin-clark-triple-double-women-ncaa-tournament-iowa/uyotnvi4ncuybosrnvj5p6rh