MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark, a preseason unanimous All-American pick in women's basketball and reigning Big Ten player of the year, suffered an ankle injury on the last possession of an 84-83 loss to Kansas State on Thursday night.
Clark is considered day-to-day and will be reassessed Saturday, but the No. 4 Hawkeyes said the plan for now is that she will play Sunday against Belmont.
Clark took an inbounds pass with 3.8 seconds left and crumpled to the floor as she tossed the ball to a teammate. Iowa's Monika Czinano then was fouled as she went up for a layup, but it was waved off by the officials because the foul came after time had run out.
Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory both had 24 points for the unranked Wildcats, who celebrated their fifth-ever victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent and the highest-ranked team the Wildcats have defeated since topping then-No. 4 Iowa State in January 2002.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said afterward that she had few details on the status of Clark, other than that she twisted the ankle.
Clark, who led Division I in scoring and assist average last season, also twisted her ankle in the Hawkeyes' season opener on Nov. 7 against Southern. Clark still played just over 20 minutes in that game and had 20 points and nine rebounds. In Thursday's loss, Clark had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Clark had to be helped off the court. After the game, she exited the Iowa locker room with her left ankle lightly wrapped in an Ace bandage and wearing both shoes. She stopped to talk to her father, Brent, and then walked gingerly but unaided out of Bramlage Coliseum to the Iowa bus.
Iowa is the third top-five women's team to lose so far this season, along with the No. 3 Texas Longhorns on Monday and then-No. 5 Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Nov. 8.
Iowa's No. 4 preseason ranking was the Hawkeyes' highest since 1994. Iowa was forced to overtime before beating the Drake Bulldogs 92-86 on Sunday and then lost Thursday. Iowa next plays Sunday against the Belmont Bruins. Then the Hawkeyes travel to the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland, Oregon, where they face the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 25 and then either the No. 5 UConn Huskies or the Duke Blue Devils on Nov. 27.
Asked if pressure from high expectations has affected her team at all, Bluder said, "I don't feel like it. What I do know is you have a target on your back for everybody else. We're going to get everybody's best shot, and we better get used to it."