Iowa honors Caitlin Clark by retiring her number and hanging it in the rafters

POWERED BY CARL’S AUTO GROUP. IT WAS A BANNER DAY FOR THE HAWKEYES IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA WAS BUBBLING OVER WITH EXCITEMENT FOR CAITLIN CLARK AND THE GAME OF THE SEASON. ��vlog, JEFF DUBROF AND SHANNON EARHART CONTINUE OUR TEAM COVERAGE JEFF DUBROF ALONGSIDE SHANNON EARHART. THE FESTIVITIES INSIDE CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA OVER. WHAT A DAY IT WAS IN IOWA CITY. MONUMENTAL. AS SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY. THIS PLACE WAS ROCKING, BUMPING EVEN. AND THERE’S A FEW REASONS WHY WE’LL GET TO THE CAITLIN CLARK JERSEY RETIREMENT HERE IN A SECOND. BUT JEFF, TELL US ABOUT THIS GAME. YEAH, THIS IS A MONUMENTAL GAME IN FRONT OF A MONUMENTAL PLAYER. IOWA BACK HOME HOSTING NUMBER FOUR USC AND JUJU WATKINS, ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY. HAWKEYES CAME OUT FIRING IN THIS GAME. TAYLOR MCCABE FROM DEEP GETS THE SCORING STARTED. AND THIS CROWD WAS ON FIRE A LITTLE LATER SYDNEY FALTER FROM LONG RANGE AND THIS ONE TOILET BOWLS AND IOWA JUMPED OUT TO A MASSIVE LEAD. AND AALIYAH GUYTON TRIPLE MAKES IT 16 TO 1. IOWA LED 18 TO 1 AT ONE POINT, AND USC DIDN’T GET THEIR FIRST FIELD GOAL OF THE QUARTER UNTIL UNDER 20S TO PLAY A JUJU WATKINS THREE, AND IT WAS 18 TO 4 AFTER ONE SECOND QUARTER, IT APPEARED TO BE MORE OF THE SAME. MCCABE ANOTHER THREE. THE HAWKEYES LED 23 TO 4, AND THERE IT ALL FLIPS. USC IS ABLE TO FORCE EIGHT TURNOVERS THANKS TO THE TRAP AND THOSE TURNOVERS COME BACK TO BITE THE HAWKEYES. USC GOES ON A 25 TO 5 RUN TO END THE HALF. JUJU WATKINS THE STRIP, THE LAYUP AT THE BUZZER. AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE HAWKEYES TRAIL 2928. THIRD QUARTER USC TOOK CONTROL EARLY, BUILDING A FIVE POINT LEAD. KIKI GRIFFIN NO GOOD. GETS HER OWN REBOUND, THOUGH. PUTS IT BACK IN. AND THEN JUST KIND OF LIKE IN THE SECOND QUARTER, EXCEPT THE OPPOSITE. IOWA ROARS BACK AND IT WAS LUCY OLSON WITH HER MOMENT MID RANGE JUMPER GIVING IOWA THE 5150 LEAD AS WE HEAD INTO THE FINAL QUARTER. AND IN THAT FINAL FRAME IT WAS MORE LUCY OLSON. ANOTHER MIDRANGE JUMPER. IOWA WITH THE LEAD. IOWA’S LEAD GREW TO SEVEN. AND THIS WAS THE DAGGER OLSON DRIVING TO THE LANE. FOUL AND 110 POINT LEAD FOR IOWA. AND FROM THERE THEY COULD MILK THE CLOCK. AND THAT WOULD DO IT. 7669 LUCY OLSON WITH A TEAM HIGH 28, GETTING A MASSIVE WIN IN FRONT OF THE GOAT. IT WAS REALLY COOL. I MEAN, EVERY TIME I WATCH ANY OF HER HIGHLIGHTS OR ANYTHING, I’M LIKE, WOW, SHE’S SO GOOD. AND SHE PRACTICED THE OTHER DAY. I WAS LIKE, WOW, THIS IS SO COOL. BUT YEAH, I DON’T KNOW. IT’S JUST AMAZING. AND EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE FOR THE SPORT. AND LIKE, THAT’S PART OF THE REASON I’M HERE, BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH SHE’S GROWN. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL. I JUST AM SO HAPPY FOR HER TO, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE GOT TO PLAY FREE. AND PEOPLE, I THINK, REALLY GOT TO SEE THAT THAT START TO TRANSLATE. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT ALL, JEFF. NOBODY WILL EVER WEAR THE NUMBER 22 JERSEY AGAIN AS THE NCAA’S ALL TIME LEADING SCORER HAS HER JERSEY IMMORTALIZED HERE AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA. SO WITH CAITLIN CLARK IN THE HOUSE, IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THE HAWKEYES HAD TO WIN. CLARKE SAT IN THE STANDS AND CHEERED LIKE ANY OTHER IOWA FAN WOULD. BUT I DID CATCH HER GIVING HER FORMER TEAM DIRECTION MORE THAN ONCE. BUT OBVIOUSLY NO SURPRISE THERE. BEFORE CAITLIN’S JERSEY WAS LIFTED INTO THE RAFTERS, LISA BLUDER TOLD THE ARENA THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, BEFORE PRACTICE, CAITLIN WAS GETTING HER SHOOTAROUND IN. SHE LOOKED UP AT ALL OF THE JERSEYS HANGING, AND THAT’S WHEN BLUDER WALKED OVER AND SAID, HEY, CAITLIN, SOMEDAY YOUR JERSEY IS GOING TO BE UP THERE. WELL, THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME. AND CAITLIN TOLD US PREGAME THAT SHE’S BEEN EMOTIONAL ALL DAY. YOU KIND OF JUST HAVE, LIKE, THOSE BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH WHEN YOU, LIKE, WALK IN HERE. NOT SO MUCH FOR A BASKETBALL GAME NOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY JUST TO BE AROUND EVERYBODY AND TO ENJOY THIS ENVIRONMENT. YOU KNOW, IT’S I THINK IT’S DEFINITELY YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE VULNERABLE. I DON’T HAVE TO GO AND COMPETE FOR 40 MINUTES, EVEN THOUGH I WISH MAYBE I COULD. 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 SECOND FINAL FOUR, SECOND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, AND JUST HOW MUCH THINGS CHANGED, NOT ONLY FOR OUR PROGRAM, BUT HOW MUCH THINGS CHANGED FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN MY TIME HERE, CAITLIN EXPRESSED A TON OF GRATITUDE, AND SHE SAID SHE WAS SO HAPPY THAT HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALL GOT TO BE HERE TO WITNESS HER JERSEY BEING LIFTED FOREVER. JEFF. YEAH, AND SHE ALSO MENTIONED THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. EXPENSIVE. BUT I GUESS THESE FANS WILL COUNT IT AS A BARGAIN AFTER THIS DAY. IOWA DEFEATS NUMBER FOUR USC 7669. CAITLIN CLARK IMMORTALIZED FOREVER A SUNDAY. HAWKEYE FANS WILL NEVER FORGET. REPORTING FROM IOWA CITY FOR SHANNON EARHART.

Caitlin Clark wasn't back in her home arena to play a game.Still, the "butterflies," the former Iowa guard said, were quite similar.Clark returned to Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday to have her number 22 retired in a ceremony after the Hawkeyes' 76-67 win over No. 4 USC, one season after she completed her historic college career."I feel like I already have those butterflies in your stomach when you walk in here," Clark said during a pregame press conference. "Not so much for a basketball game now, but obviously just to be around everybody and to enjoy this environment. I don't have to go and compete for 40 minutes, even though I wish maybe I could. I think it will definitely be a little bit more emotional that I don't have to compete."Video above: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at IowaClark was at center court with her family as the No. 22 went up into the rafters. She was smiling throughout the ceremony.The jersey retirement capped a historic career for Clark at Iowa. She became college basketball's all-time leading scorer while leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national championship game the last two seasons.A sellout crowd of 14,998 included Lisa Bluder, Clark's former coach at Iowa, and Stephanie White, Clark's current coach with the WNBA's Indiana Fever. The Fever will play an exhibition game at Iowa next season.Former Iowa teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall were in courtside seats alongside former talk-show host David Letterman. USC's coaches and players stayed on the court after the game to witness the ceremony."I'm sure it wasn't cheap to get in," Clark quipped during the ceremony.Iowa coach Jan Jensen told about seeing Clark for the first time as a freshman at West Des Moines Dowling High School."Our staff, we made a pact that we were going to do everything we could to be the last one standing," Jensen said. "And we are so thankful that we were the last one standing. Caitlin, she's truly generational. She changed the world.""The positive image that you've brought to this basketball program, this university, this state, and women's basketball nationally, is unmeasurable," Bluder said. "I've spent my entire career trying to empower young women. That's what it's all about. But you've done more than that in the last four years, more than anyone can imagine."Clark reflected before the game on her time with the Hawkeyes, when she was part of teams that reached four NCAA tournaments and won three Big Ten Tournament titles."The winning came because of the great culture that we had," she said. "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 are here. We had players that were selfless. We had players that didn't care how many points you were going to score. They're going to do whatever they could for your teammates. They were going to hold their teammates accountable. And I think that's a lost art in college these days, and you don't always see that."Clark knows she is in a constant media spotlight these days, whether it's attending concerts or joining Taylor Swift in a suite at a Kansas City Chiefs NFL playoff game. She said she understands the criticism that comes with the attention."I feel like one of my greatest skills is I really don't care," Clark said. "I don't care — 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 with the Fever now, and you just rely on those people. Nobody gets to step inside of your locker room. Everybody thinks they know everything and have an answer, but that's just not reality."Clark's jersey was hung in the rafters on the same day that South Carolina retired A'ja Wilson's jersey. They both wore 22 in college.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: WATCH: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at Iowa 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 » Subscribe to ��vlog's YouTube page» Download the free ��vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play'Exciting times': Caitlin Clark on second season with Indiana FeverCAITLIN CLARK: Former Iowa star reflects on time with Hawkeyes'Great young group': Caitlin Clark talks about 2024-25 Iowa women's basketball team'It's just life': Caitlin Clark talks being in spotlight as basketball superstar'Fun to come back': Caitlin Clark talks about having jersey retired at Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) —

Caitlin Clark wasn't back in her home arena to play a game.

Still, the "butterflies," the former Iowa guard said, were quite similar.

Clark returned to Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday to have her number 22 retired in a ceremony after the Hawkeyes' 76-67 win over No. 4 USC, one season after she completed her historic college career.

"I feel like I already have those butterflies in your stomach when you walk in here," Clark said during a pregame press conference. "Not so much for a basketball game now, but obviously just to be around everybody and to enjoy this environment. I don't have to go and compete for 40 minutes, even though I wish maybe I could. I think it will definitely be a little bit more emotional that I don't have to compete."

Video above: Full Caitlin Clark press conference ahead of No. 22 jersey retirement at Iowa

Clark was at center court with her family as the No. 22 went up into the rafters. She was smiling throughout the ceremony.

The jersey retirement capped a historic career for Clark at Iowa. She became college basketball's all-time leading scorer while leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national championship game the last two seasons.

A sellout crowd of 14,998 included Lisa Bluder, Clark's former coach at Iowa, and Stephanie White, Clark's current coach with the WNBA's Indiana Fever. The Fever will play an exhibition game at Iowa next season.

There will never be another 2️⃣2️⃣
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB)

Former Iowa teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall were in courtside seats alongside former talk-show host David Letterman. USC's coaches and players stayed on the court after the game to witness the ceremony.

"I'm sure it wasn't cheap to get in," Clark quipped during the ceremony.

Iowa coach Jan Jensen told about seeing Clark for the first time as a freshman at West Des Moines Dowling High School.

"Our staff, we made a pact that we were going to do everything we could to be the last one standing," Jensen said. "And we are so thankful that we were the last one standing. Caitlin, she's truly generational. She changed the world."

"The positive image that you've brought to this basketball program, this university, this state, and women's basketball nationally, is unmeasurable," Bluder said. "I've spent my entire career trying to empower young women. That's what it's all about. But you've done more than that in the last four years, more than anyone can imagine."

Clark reflected before the game on her time with the Hawkeyes, when she was part of teams that reached four NCAA tournaments and won three Big Ten Tournament titles.

"The winning came because of the great culture that we had," she said. "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 are here. We had players that were selfless. We had players that didn't care how many points you were going to score. They're going to do whatever they could for your teammates. They were going to hold their teammates accountable. And I think that's a lost art in college these days, and you don't always see that."

The legend of 22.
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB)

Clark knows she is in a constant media spotlight these days, whether it's attending concerts or joining Taylor Swift in a suite at a Kansas City Chiefs NFL playoff game. She said she understands the criticism that comes with the attention.

"I feel like one of my greatest skills is I really don't care," Clark said. "I don't care — 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 with the Fever now, and you just rely on those people. Nobody gets to step inside of your locker room. Everybody thinks they know everything and have an answer, but that's just not reality."

Immeasurable Impact 🖤 x
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB)

Clark's jersey was hung in the rafters on the same day that South Carolina retired A'ja Wilson's jersey. They both wore 22 in college.

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:

» Download the free ��vlog app to get updates on the go: |

'Exciting times': Caitlin Clark on second season with Indiana Fever

CAITLIN CLARK: Former Iowa star reflects on time with Hawkeyes

'Great young group': Caitlin Clark talks about 2024-25 Iowa women's basketball team

'It's just life': Caitlin Clark talks being in spotlight as basketball superstar

'Fun to come back': Caitlin Clark talks about having jersey retired at Iowa

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Iowa honors Caitlin Clark by retiring her number and hanging it in the rafters

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