WATCH: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at Iowa
WATCH: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at Iowa
You talked about in your time in Iowa you didn't really get time to reflect on what's going on because, you know, preparing for opponents and things like that now that you you've had time off, just what's it been like to to process what happened here at Iowa and then be back here today. Well, it's been fun looking back on this whole past year and everything that's been able to happen, um, but just the journey we went on, I think reflecting back on my entire career, whether the beginning when I didn't play in front of anybody to the very end where we went to our 2nd Final 4, 2nd national championship game and. Just how much things changed not only for uh our program but how much things changed for women's basketball in my time here so um just very grateful and fortunate and um it's kind of *** weird feeling coming back here um and not being able to play but um it's just really exciting time still for this program I'm very fortunate to be *** part of it and feel very lucky that *** lot of my former teammates and you know former coaches are here and able to support me and *** lot of friends and family, so I'm just really lucky. Yeah, Caitlin is *** is an alum, as *** fan, you know, what's, what's your take on this year's team? How do you see this team? Oh, asking me the tough questions. No, I think they're definitely *** younger group. I think the, the freshman class to me is what's really exciting. Um, I think they've been ones you can tell they're freshmen, they're gonna be inexperienced at times, but you learn through that and you grow through that and. Um, you know, really just proud of this coaching staff. I don't think people always at times give them the grace that they deserve, you know, losing 5 seniors or 6 seniors, whatever the number was, losing our, our head coach and then losing Coach Fitz, which *** lot of people don't talk about, um, too often, and Coach Fitz was the person that. You know she did the scouts. She watched games, 8 games, or she was working ahead on things. She was Coach Blutter's kind of right hand person and you know she never got *** lot of the credit, so um you know that's *** big loss too, but um just proud of this coaching staff like they've stayed resilient in the moments that have been kind of tough for them so far, but. Um, you know, this program's in *** really good spot. You have *** great young group, um, and you have, you know, *** couple of juniors that are gonna be back next year that are really good and then obviously the class that we have coming in is really good as well. So, um, the program is in in *** really good spot. Like Kaitlyn, you know, *** lot of these big milestone emotional moments you are playing in *** game because you're not playing because you're going to this school. Do you feel like you'll be able to let yourself feel the emotions *** little bit more? Yeah, and I feel like I already have kind of today like it's you kind of just have like those butterflies in your stomach when you like walk in here, not so much for *** basketball game now, but obviously just to be around everybody and to enjoy this environment, um, you know, it's, I think it's definitely you are *** little bit more vulnerable. I don't have to go and compete for 40 minutes even though I wish I maybe I could. Um, but certainly, like I think it will definitely be *** little bit more emotional that I don't have to compete and go play for 40 minutes. Chad, um, Caitlyn, uh, you've watched this team from afar. Um, what, what do you hope that Iowa women's basketball is? This is kind of *** page turning day in *** way. I hope Iowa women's basketball can become. You know, the recruits that are here, what do you think that this can become after? Yeah, well, I mean. I guess I just reflect on the class that graduated and I would say the thing we're probably the most proud of looking at like myself and Kate and Gaby and even like Monica and McKenna when they graduated is just the culture that we had here um it's not so much the winning the winning came because of the great culture that we had and for me I hope that's the thing that always stays intact and I know it will because of the great coaching staff we have and the type of players that they recruit. Um, and you know that was the reason we were good. It wasn't because we had *** ton of really, really skilled players. We had players that were selfless. We had players that you didn't care how many points you're gonna score. They're gonna do whatever they could for their teammates. They're gonna hold their teammates accountable, and I think that's *** lost art in college these days. Like you don't always see that, and I think that's what makes Iowa women's basketball what it is. It's just the culture piece and I know that will carry on and that's what I hope to see as well. Outside of anybody in the political arena and maybe you're chief's BFF, uh, nobody has faced more scrutiny in the last 18 months than you. Um, what have you learned about yourself going through whether it's adversity on the floor, off the floor, and, uh, in the last 18 months, and how have you applied that to make you *** better person? Um, you know. I think it's, you know, it's just life. Everybody goes through some of the same stuff that I've gone through and *** lot of people go through *** lot worse, and I just try to remind myself every single day like how grateful I am to be in the position that I am and you know I try to treat everybody the same way that you know that I would want to be treated and I think it just speaks to the way I was raised and my parents raised me um you know there's gonna be good days, there's gonna be bad days, girls are fired up. I hope that's the. Um, but yeah, I think it's just, you know, you go with the flow *** little bit, you know, obviously I think having *** good circle around me and having *** small circle around me of people that I really trust, and those are the people that you can always count on and lean on is what's been so important for me over the past year, um, but also like I've said this before, like I feel like one of my greatest skills is like I really don't care like I don't I I don't care like I. I believe in myself. I'm confident in myself. I'm confident in my teammates. I try to instill that in them. I'm confident in the coaching staff on whatever team I was on, whether that was here, whether that's at the fever now, um, and you just rely on those people and you know nobody gets to step inside of your locker room whether it was at here at Iowa or whether it was, you know, with the fever now like everybody thinks they know everything and have an answer but that's just not reality and that goes for all of professional sports and really that goes for all of you as well and people in life. After 2 more we'll go to Owen and then Mike. Uh, Kaitlin, it's been *** couple of months since they announced this is gonna be the day that you had your retired. Can you just tell me about some of the emotions either leading up to today and what you're feeling maybe now today, especially knowing that nobody's ever gonna wear 22 again here at Iowa? Yeah, well, I think. First of all, I feel very lucky and fortunate because there's also been *** lot of really good players to wear this number in this program, whether Sam Logic, Kathleen Doyle, and those two specifically have been very supportive of myself over my career so, um, just thanks to them more than anything and. Um, I think once you like hear the day and it's like, oh your jersey's getting retired this day it's like, oh, OK, but like when the day like approaches very fast you don't have as much time to prepare for everything that's gonna be involved in it but um you know I just am fortunate to come back here. I honestly thought I would be back in Iowa City *** lot more than I've been able to be over the, you know, since I've left. Only really my second time back here. The other time was when we got our rings on the field, so, um, it's just fun for me to come back and like just say thank you to everybody that poured so much into me and allowed me to be great, whether that's, you know, the social media people, whether that's the marketing team, whoever it is that made me look really good at times, um, so just like making sure I. I say thank you to all of them because none of that happens without all of those people pouring, pouring themselves into, into our team and our program every single day. Hi, your current team has made some interesting moves the last few days. How do you feel about what your roster suddenly looks like? I'm excited. Obviously you know we made some, some great moves. I think you know Kelly and Amber and the whole, you know, fever organization are, you know, they're one helping us win now and I think that's really important, um. Uh, I think they're putting really good pieces together that are gonna, you know, complement each other really, really well, um, and then obviously Steph taking over as head coach for us I think it's gonna be really great, *** great basketball mind somebody that had actually called quite *** few of my college games, um, so being able to build that. Relationship with her and just be in the gym and work on things that she probably saw when I was *** freshman in college and I was like, oh, that girl still can't make *** left-handed layup. We're we're still working on that, but no, it's just exciting times and I think you look around the WNBA and that goes for, you know, all 13 teams now and. Um, you know, there's real trade and there's real activity and there's fun free agency to follow and that's what's making people so excited about it that's gonna attract more people to our league is you get to follow these story lines so, um, it's really exciting and I'm, you know, looking forward to next year. Thanks guys, appreciate you all being here. Thanks.
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WATCH: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at Iowa
Former University of Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will be honored with a jersey retirement ceremony, Sunday, following the Hawkeyes' game against USC at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.Ahead of the game, Clark spoke with the media about her legacy and accomplishments as a Hawkeye and what she's learned as a rookie in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever. Watch the full interview in the video player above.Clark will return to Carver in May with her WNBA team. The University of Iowa announced Thursday that Clark and the Indiana Fever will play the Brazilian National Team in a preseason game Sunday, May 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tickets will be made available at a later date. Iowa retires Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey: Iowa basketball: Hawkeyes stun No. 4 USC 76-69 ahead of Caitlin Clark jersey retirement Forever 22: Photos, videos from Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement ceremony There's something about Caitlin: Hawkeyes fans share love, memories of Caitlin Clark after jersey retirement Iowa honors Caitlin Clark by retiring her number and hanging it in the raftersvlog ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | X/Twitter
IOWA CITY, Iowa —
Former University of Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will be honored with a jersey retirement ceremony, Sunday, following the Hawkeyes' game against USC at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Ahead of the game, Clark spoke with the media about her legacy and accomplishments as a Hawkeye and what she's learned as a rookie in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever.
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Watch the full interview in the video player above.
Clark will return to Carver in May with her WNBA team. The University of Iowa announced Thursday that Clark and the Indiana Fever will play the Brazilian National Team in a preseason game Sunday, May 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tickets will be made available at a later date.
Iowa retires Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey:
- Forever 22: Photos, videos from Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement ceremony
- There's something about Caitlin: Hawkeyes fans share love, memories of Caitlin Clark after jersey retirement
- Iowa honors Caitlin Clark by retiring her number and hanging it in the rafters
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