Iowa Women's Basketball Honors Caitlin Clark with Jersey Retirement During Upset Victory

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The greatest Hawkeye of them all had her No. 22 jersey hoisted to the rafters forever, and the ceremony itself almost became a footnote to the game that preceded it.

With Caitlin Clark and her family sitting 11 rows from the floor, the Iowa women's basketball team channeled her competitive drive in a raucous environment and upset No. 4 USC 76-69. It was a signature victory for first-year head coach Jan Jensen, and that it took place with Clark in attendance for the first time since her record-breaking run provided the confluence to a glorious afternoon for those wearing black and gold.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the "Victory Polka" blared from the Iowa Pep Band and students stormed the court in a single-file fashion because of the heavy security presence. They celebrated for about five minutes before the public address announcer urged them to scurry off the floor to start Clark's celebration. So off they hustled in a straight line, but it wasn't quick enough to escape several more pleas. That juxtaposition fits the day filled with celebrations tied together but completely separate from one another.

But what is unmistakable is how Clark changed the game at Iowa and how the program continues to reap those rewards. Clark's personal stamp on Iowa's record book includes an NCAA-record 3,951 career points, two national championship game appearances, three Big Ten titles, and a pair of consensus Player of the Year honors. Her run was unprecedented, and it was fitting that her jersey retirement took place on 2-2.

Clark's Iowa legacy stretches far beyond her four-year surge on the floor. From how the community continues to celebrate women's basketball to the relentless home-court advantage on display Sunday, Clark's Iowa story didn't end last April when the WNBA's Indiana Pacers drafted her No. 1 overall. The Iowa women's basketball story didn't conclude when the most beloved collection of players in school history, who became so recognizable that fans referred to them by their first names - Caitlin, Kate (Martin), Gabbie (Marshall), Molly (Davis) - graduated. Interest in women's basketball didn't fade when coach Lisa Bluder, the Big Ten's winningest women's basketball coach and every bit as cherished as her players, retired in May. It was only the beginning.

With No. 4 USC and superstar Juju Watkins in tow, hundreds of fans stood outside of Carver-Hawkeye Arena nearly three hours before tipoff. The cheapest ticket on the resale market was $153 but it was located nearly on top of the arena. Fans of every age group dug out their No. 22 shirts, and the festive vibe permeated the pregame environment.

A season after Iowa became the first women's basketball program in Big Ten history to sell every ticket for every home game, the Hawkeyes repeated that feat. Despite an inconsistent year compared to its recent success, the environment Sunday was every bit as electric as what took place in Clark's final season.

"We've been put in a lot of good atmospheres," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "This is the first time, like everyone was in their seat with 10 minutes to go before the game. I was really impressed."

And it was loud. Consistently loud. In pregame introductions, fans applauded Watkins, and a decibel reader reached 103. The sound grew for Iowa's turn and reached a point where hearing the public address announcer was difficult.

"The tipoff, it was like, 'Ooo, my ears,'" Iowa guard Lucy Olson said with a laugh. "I was like, 'I hope it's a little quieter.'

Instead, it became deafening. On Iowa guard Taylor McCabe's first 3-pointer, the sound hit 117 decibels. When Sydney Affolter's 3-pointer put Iowa ahead 6-1, it was 118 decibels. It never reached the 119 from when Clark drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat Indiana two years ago, but the outbursts consistently exceeded 115 from the first quarter to the final seconds.

This is the post-Caitin Clark world in Iowa City. The passion surrounding women's basketball perhaps doesn't peak as much publicly as it did last season, but it remains strong. And it's healthy. Along with the cheers at her introduction, Watkins saw fans wearing her T-shirt. One read: "I may live in Iowa but I cheer for Juju." A pre-teen sported a Watkins shirt, came to the floor during a timeout, and held a sign about wanting to be like JuJu. Fans took pictures of Watkins warming up like they did for Clark a year ago.

"In stands full of 22 and Caitlin, it's cool to see I get some love as well," Watkins said. "Tonight was all about her (Clark), and to see my supporters as well, that was really cool."

The appreciation was reciprocated. As Clark stood with her family at midcourt, USC players and coaches sat on their bench minutes after their loss and watched highlights of Clark's greatest moments at Iowa.

After her jersey was brought alongside Iowa's two runner-up banners, Clark also tossed flowers toward both Watkins and USC, saying, "I'm a big fan," which was met with applause.

"Obviously, the magnitude of this day isn't lost on us," Gottlieb said. "From the non-basketball game piece of it, I'm really impressed with the atmosphere here, the love for women's basketball, the appreciation for what Caitlin has done and Coach Bluder. So, we had decided prior to the outcome of the game that we were going to stay out there and be part of that to honor her and where women's basketball is."

"All the people in women's basketball now, they really appreciate what Caitlin and company did, and hopefully what we did here at the University of Iowa," Jensen said. "Caitlin's one of one, and so I think most teams would have wanted to stay to see that respect. But I certainly thought it was cool that Lindsay and her group did."

This is a sport where Michigan's players bought Clark a gift last year when she broke the women's basketball scoring record. Purdue coach Katie Gearlds hand-delivered flowers to Iowa's staff last month after former player and radio announcer Jamie Cavey Lang died from cancer at age 41. The residuals of the Caitlin Clark Effect have been fierce competition on the floor with admiration, respect, and humanity off it. Women's basketball is both warm and cool, which was succinctly summed up by Bluder as she looked directly at Clark.

"You have been that role model for thousands and thousands of girls and boys across this country," Bluder said to cheers from men wearing No. 22 shirts to the USC players and staff still on their bench. "You showed why it's wise to invest in women's sports, why it's wise to invest in women. It's not only the right thing to do, but it's the smart thing to do."

No truer words have been said. After all, just look at Iowa.