Women’s college basketball saw exponential growth in popularity and viewership during Caitlin Clark’s career at the University of Iowa. She was a must-watch whenever the Hawkeyes played and led her team to back-to-back national championship games in the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Clark’s popularity carried over through her rookie season in the WNBA and has continued to grow despite being snubbed from Team USA in the Olympics. Clark was recently back at Iowa for an emotional jersey retirement ceremony.
Watch What Made Caitlin Clark Tear Up at Jersey Retirement
A local product from Des Moines, Clark came to Iowa in 2020 and was immediately inserted into the Hawkeyes’ starting lineup as a guard. In her freshman year, she led the nation in made field goals (266), made 3-pointers (116), 3-point attempts (286), assists (214), and points (799).
Iowa made it to the Sweet 16 in that year’s NCAA Tournament, and Clark had laid the groundwork for an outstanding career. Her sophomore season ended with an early second-round exit in the tournament, but things were about to take off. Clark’s junior year saw the Hawkeyes make it to the National Championship Game, and she was the focal point.
That season, Clark led the country in 3-point attempts (360), 3-pointers made (140), and assists (327). She also scored 1,055 points en route to her first AP Player of the Year award. A tense championship game loss to LSU set Clark and the Hawkeyes up for a redemption tour in 2023-24.
Clark’s senior season went as planned. Another Big Ten title and another Final Four after getting revenge on LSU in the Elite Eight.
Iowa knocked off UConn in the national semifinal before falling to No. 1 overall-seeded South Carolina in the National Championship Game. Clark again led the country in many statistical categories that season and was named AP POY for the second time.
Clark’s Iowa career nearly had the storybook ending with a national championship, but she seems content with how her four years played out in Iowa City. She recently took her rightful place in the rafters of Carver-Hawkeye Arena and teared up watching a video montage of fan messages.
One of the more emotional moments of the day for Caitlin Clark, as she watches a video montage of her fans' messages to her. pic.twitter.com/ym5O86WRuq
— Jack Lido (@JackLido) February 3, 2025
“Thank you for being a transcendent, electrifying athlete…” one fan said in the montage.
“Electrifying” is a perfect word to describe Clark and how she changed the public’s viewpoint of women’s basketball. She was joined by her family to watch her number be raised to the rafters.
#22 is immortalized forever for @iowawbb 🙌
Congratulations Caitlin Clark! pic.twitter.com/zQnnf1BPvu
— WNBA (@WNBA) February 2, 2025
Clark left Iowa as the all-time leader in made field goals (1,293), 3-point attempts (1,452), 3-point makes (548), and career points (3,951). It was a storied college career that culminated in being selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
She averaged 19.2 points and 8.4 assists while making 41.7% of her field goals in her rookie season. The Fever made the playoffs in 2024, and Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year. Things are trending the right way for Clark to have her jersey raised by the Fever when her playing days are over.
