2,000-point plateau approaching fast for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano

IOWA CITY — For Caitlin Clark, it’s coming sometime within the next week. Maybe Sunday.

For Monika Czinano, it’s two games away. Possibly three.

It’s a milestone that has been accomplished only three times in University of Iowa women’s basketball history.

Two thousand points.

“You don’t always get to coach kids like this,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “They’re an unbelievable duo, and I’m so thankful that I’ve gotten to coach both of them.”

It has taken Clark less than 2 1/2 seasons to climb to No. 4 on the career scoring chart, with 1,967 points. Czinano, in her fifth year, has 1,947 and ranks fifth.

Megan Gustafson (2,804 points, 2015-19), Ally Disterhoft (2,102, 2014-17) and Cindy Haugejorde (2,059, 1976-80) are the current members of a 2,000-point club that is about to expand.

Clark could get there Sunday, when the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes (8-3) host Northern Iowa (5-3). Tipoff is 2 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“The thing that is so neat is ... you look at the point guard and the center, those are two totally opposite positions,” Bluder said. “With Caitlin, look at what she’s done with both points and assists. That makes it even more mind-boggling.

“Monika, she has led the nation in field-goal percentage two years in a row. That’s making a lot of baskets.”

The news from Bluder’s Zoom conference Friday is good news concerning Kate Martin.

“She’s fine. She’s good to go,” Bluder said. “She practiced Wednesday and (Friday).”

Martin suffered what was believed to be a deep bruise in her shin last Saturday against Minnesota. It looked nasty at the time.

So did a pair of ankle sprains — once in the season opener, again at Kansas State — for Clark.

“To be successful, you really have to stay healthy,” Bluder said. “Not many teams are like UConn that can keep bringing all-Americans off the bench.”

Iowa will try to sweep its three in-state rivals for the fourth time in the last six years. The Hawkeyes lead the series with UNI by a 24-3 count and have won eight straight over the Panthers at Carver.

“We know it’s going to be a battle. It always is with the state rivalries,” Bluder said. “This is a team that lost to Iowa State by only three points.”

Ten of the Panthers’ 12 players are Iowans, including all five starters — Kam Finley, Emerson Green and Cynthia Wolf (all Cedar Falls), Grace Boffeli (Eldridge) and Maya McDermott (Johnston).

A three-time state champion at North Scott, Boffeli leads the Panthers at 15.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

“She’s such a strong post,” Bluder said. “She can beat you off the bounce. She’s tough to defend.”

Four Panthers played their high-school careers in The Gazette’s coverage area: Kayba Laube and Riley Wright (Marion), Ryley Goebel (Center Point-Urbana) and Cailyn Morgan (Iowa City West).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com