“This place will always be home to me,” Caitlin Clark tells supporters as she bids Iowa farewell. “And another two words, the Boss”
OWA CITY On Wednesday, Caitlin Clark had her last opportunity to bid Iowa supporters farewell, and naturally, a sizable audience was there.
Along with her teammates, Clark became the all-time leading scorer in major college basketball this season and was named the consensus national player of the year. The celebration took place at Iowa’s home arena to honor the Hawkeyes’ second consecutive national runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament.
“I think you guys have inspired me just as much as I have inspired you,” Clark told the roughly 8,000 spectators at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa. “And you made it possible for me to fulfill my dream every day, and I’m grateful for that.”
In a career that began playing in front of small crowds during her freshman year when attendance was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark finished with 3,951 points and 1,144 assists. She is predicted to be the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever in Monday’s WNBA Draft. Clark was an All-American in every season of her career.
When Iowa sports director Beth Goetz revealed that Clark’s jersey number 22, which is the third to be retired in school history, he was met with a standing ovation.
Goetz told Clark, “I think they like you,” following the news.
“It’s super incredible, something I’m very thankful for,” Clark stated. “Be it Kathleen Doyle or Sam Logic, there have been many excellent 22s who have performed for this show before me. That figure is significant in ways that go far beyond me. It will be a memorable day when it occurs, and I really appreciate it.”
Lisa Bluder, the coach of Iowa, described the Hawkeyes’ consecutive journeys to the national title game as “special.”
“This year’s was also special, because nobody thought we could do it,” she stated. “Nobody thought we could repeat what we did last year, except these women up here.”
The fact that the Hawkeyes have been able to attract large audiences this season made the turnout at the event not surprising.
During the regular season, the Hawkeyes drew 238,620 spectators to all of their home games, and that number does not include the 55,646 spectators that attended the women’s basketball single-game attendance record-setting “Crossover at Kinnick” outdoor exhibition game in October at Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium.
