Livescore
Caitlin Clark may no longer be in an Iowa uniform, but her impact on the program will be felt forever. In honor of Clark’s historic career with the Hawkeyes, the team will retire her No. 22 jersey when they host No. 4 USC on Feb. 2.
Clark played at Iowa from 2020-2024, and became the greatest player in program history by the time she was done. Clark is the NCAA’s all-time leader in points (3,951), the all-time women’s basketball leader in 3-pointers made (548), and the all-time program leader in assists (1,144). She also led Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Clark will be in attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the jersey retirement ceremony.
“I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said. “It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I’ve admired for so long.”
Iowa’s director of athletics chair, Beth Goetz, said Clark “left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball.”
Former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder, who retired after last season with Clark, shared a similar sentiment in a recent interview with CBS Sports.
“You want good role models in sports. You want good role models in television. I think our team was that,” Bluder said. “I think Caitlin was that. I’m just so glad that people are paying attention now and understanding the value of women’s sports.”
Clark will join Megan Gustafson (10) and Michelle Edwards (30) as the only Iowa women’s basketball players to have their numbers retired.
Clark, a two-time Naismith Award winner, continued to build her legacy in the WNBA this year. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark won Rookie of the Year while leading the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth in eight years. In addition, Clark was named TIME’s Athlete of the Year.
Having the ceremony happen when the Trojans are in town almost feels like a passing-the torch-moment. During the 2024 Wooden Awards, Clark told USC star JuJu Watkins she was going to have the spotlight for the next three years.
“She was like, ‘I had this attention for a year and a half, two years,'” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb told The Orange County Register. “She said to JuJu, ‘You’re going to have it for the next three.'”
Meanwhile, JuJu has often shared the respect she has for Clark’s game.
“I think just her ability to score and her passing,” Watkins told CBS Sports. “She’s just really a great all-around point guard.”
The USC vs. Iowa matchup is set for Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports.
Read the full article here
Discussion about this post