It requires a bit of explanation: Woodard starred for Kansas from 1977-81, racking up 3,649 career points. However, the NCAA did not begin sponsoring womenโs basketball until 1982, so Woodard is nowhere to be found in NCAA record books; she played when the sport was under the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
This has caused Woodard to go unfairly unrecognized for years, but Clarkโs excellence has helped shine some light on just how good Woodard was. When asked what she would say when Clark broke her record, Woodard responded, โHey, congratulations. Welcome to the party.โ
Now, itโs happened.
Clark passed Woodardโs mark on a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of the No. 6 Hawkeyesโ 108-60 win over Minnesota. She finished with 33 points (on eight 3-pointers), 12 assists and 10 rebounds, meaning Woodardโs scoring mark wasnโt the only history she made:
18th career triple-double, second to Sabrina Ionescu in womenโs NCAA D-I history
Sixth triple-double this season, tied for third in womenโs NCAA D-I history
156 3-pointers this season, most in womenโs D-I history
503 career 3-pointers, second to Taylor Robertson in womenโs D-I history
Clark is 18 points from passing Pete Maravich for most points in major-program college history, menโs or womenโs.
Just as the Warriorsย were seemingly rounding into form and the healthiest theyโve been following Chris Paulโs return, theyโve been dealt a tough blow. Andrew Wiggins is out indefinitely due to a personal matter.
Wiggins, 29, missed the Warriorsโ win against the Wizards on Tuesday. After a tough start to the season, Wiggins has been playing better of late, and Golden State has won nine of its last 11 games and vaulted itself into a play-in spot.
Maloney:โWithout Wiggins, theyโll need youngsters such as Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to continue stepping up, as well as more consistent play fromย Klay Thompson, who is now coming off the bench. Thompson remained in a reserve role in Wigginsโ absence on Tuesday, which suggests he will not move back into the starting lineup.โ
Not so honorable mentions
The Knicksโ protest of their loss to the Rocketswas denied.
Andy Reid apparentlyย didnโt get any of Taylor Swiftโs homemade pop tarts. Champagne Problems indeed.
Ballon dโOr winner Aitana Bonmati feels Spainโs World Cup triumph has been โfor nothing.โ
Jets give Zach Wilson permission to seek trade
Much like his predecessor Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson struggled in three seasons with the Jets after being a top-five pick โฆ now will likely be suiting up elsewhere. The Jets gave Wilson permission to seek a trade. Where he ends up and what the Jets receive in return are anyoneโs best guess.
Since 2021, Wilson, 24, ranks last in passer rating, touchdown-to-interception ratio and completion percentage. But this isnโt a โbash Zach Wilsonโ session โ heโs had enough of that โ and his circumstances were far from perfect in the Big Apple. He has legit talent. Thereโs a reason he was the No. 2 pick. Maybe a new home can bring that out. Cody Benjamin has five potential landing spots for Wilson, including โฆ
Benjamin:โChiefs โย Wilson was unfairly compared toย Patrick Mahomes coming out of BYU, but there wouldnโt be a better mentor for the physically gifted youngster. K.C. hasnโt yet developed a long-term backup for Mahomes, either, withย Blaine Gabbert replacing Chad Henne as the veteran No. 2 this year. Wilson would surely embrace the chance to learn under Andy Reid.โ
Kansas bumps Lance Leipoldโs annual salary
Kansas is opening its checkbook, hoping to keep the coach leading the Jayhawksโ football resurgence in Lawrence for the long term. Lance Leipold received a salary bump to over $7 million annually, putting him in the same neighborhood asย Oklahoma Stateโs Mike Gundy andย Oklahomaโs Brent Venables. Leipoldโs contract still runs through 2029.
Leipold inherited a program that went 0-9 in 2020. After going 2-10 in his first year, the Jayhawks went 6-7 in 2022, making their first bowl game since 2008. Last season, Kansas went 9-4 โ its best record since 2007 โ and won the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Kansas finished last year 23rd in the AP Poll, just the second time this millennium it has finished a season in the Top 25.
That success came despite 2023 Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Jalon Daniels playing in just three games. Daniels will return in 2024.
Backus:โLeipold did such an impressive job with the Jayhawks in 2022 that his name was mentioned with several prominent openings during the ensuing coaching carousel. Kansas responded with a new contract that more than doubled his salary at the time.ย In August 2023 the university announced a $300 million project to renovate David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and the surrounding area.โ
Top Leap Day sports moments
Listen, I love March Madness as much as anyone, but if weโre going to have to wait one extra day for the best sports month (donโt even try to argue), we might as well make the most of it. Hereโs a trip down Leap Day memory lane, courtesy of Austin Nivison, including โฆ
โ1980: Gordie Howe scores 800th NHL goal โ Howe beat Blues goaltender Mike Liut early in the third period to reach the milestone, and it was made more impressive by the fact that Howe was 51 years old at the time. Howe also got to celebrate the moment with his son, Mark, who was also on the Whalersโ roster at the time. The 1979-80 season was Howeโs last in the NHL, and he scored just one more goal that year before retiring with 801 career tallies. That stood as the all-time record for just 14 years, when Wayne Gretzky buried his 802nd career goal on March 23, 1994.โ
What weโre watching Thursday
NFL Combine, 3 p.m. on NFL Network No. 5 Virginia Tech at No. 17 Notre Dame (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN Warriors at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT Florida State at No. 22 Louisville (W), 8 p.m. on ACC Network No. 1 South Carolina at Arkansas (W), 9 p.m. on SEC Network Avalanche at Blackhawks, 9 p.m. on ESPN Heat at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT Saint Maryโs at Pepperdine (M), 11 p.m. on CBS Sports Network No. 23 Gonzaga at San Francisco (M), 11 p.m. on ESPN2