Following what is arguably the most illustrious college basketball career in Iowa’s history, it’s fitting that No. 22 will be raised to the rafters at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Announced by Athletic Director Beth Goetz during the team’s end-of-season celebration on Wednesday, Iowa women’s basketball will retire Caitlin Clark’s jersey. She will join Michelle Edwards’ No. 30 jersey and Megan Gustafson’s No. 10 jersey as the third women’s basketball player to receive this honor at Iowa.
There will never be another #22 at Iowa. 🥹
The Hawkeyes will hang Caitlin Clark's jersey in CHA.
Watch on @BigTenPlus
pic.twitter.com/pDoPHu7U6G— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) April 10, 2024
“It’s super incredible,” Clark said after the jersey retirement announcement. “It’s something I’m very thankful for. I’ve had some amazing teammates over the course of my four years here … That number holds a lot of weight, far beyond my name, and I’m just super grateful.”
The guard, hailing from West Des Moines, boasted impressive averages of 28.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game over her four-year tenure with the Hawkeyes. Her shooting percentages were equally remarkable, with a 46.2 percent field goal rate, 37.7 percent from three-point range, and 85.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Caitlin Clark culminated her collegiate career as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer, amassing a staggering 3,951 points. This feat surpassed Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 points, which had stood for over 54 years. Additionally, she ranks second all-time, across both men’s and women’s basketball, with 548 made three-pointers and 1,144 assists.
"You all inspire me as much as I inspire you." 🥹
Hawkeye legend Caitlin Clark shares a message to those who waited for her autograph all season long.
Watch on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/JV4RHz83iJ
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) April 11, 2024
Caitlin Clark’s list of accolades is unparalleled: she’s a two-time Naismith Player of the Year, a four-time AP All-American, a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, a three-time NCAA All-Region selection, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, a two-time Big Ten Tournament MVP, a two-time NCAA All-Tournament team member, a two-time Wooden Award winner, and holds records as Iowa’s all-time leading scorer, assist leader, and three-point leader. Additionally, she holds the same records for the Big Ten conference and is the NCAA Tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Notably, she broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record.
Over the past two years, Clark and the Iowa women’s basketball team have shattered numerous viewership records. They initially set the women’s college basketball viewership record during their 2023 National Championship loss to LSU, averaging 9.9 million viewers on ABC, a 103 percent increase from the previous year.
The game where Clark broke Maravich’s all-time scoring record against Ohio State became the most-watched women’s college basketball regular season game, with an average of 3.39 million viewers on FOX.
During the Big Ten Tournament, the Iowa vs. Nebraska championship game on March 12 was the most-watched women’s college basketball game on CBS, with an average of 3.02 million viewers. Overall, BTN’s viewership during the tournament increased by 141 percent from the previous year.
In the highly anticipated 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament, Iowa set viewership records in three consecutive games. The rematch against LSU in the Elite Eight drew an average of 12.3 million viewers, the matchup against UConn in the Final Four drew an average of 14.43 million viewers, and the national championship game against South Carolina drew an average of 18.9 million viewers. This made it the most-watched basketball game—across both men’s and women’s, college and professional basketball—since 2019. Notably, for the first time, the women’s college final drew more viewers than the men’s college final.
The surge in TV ratings was accompanied by increased in-person viewership. For the first time in program history, Iowa women’s basketball sold out its 2023-24 season tickets, with all but two games—home and away—selling out. The women’s Big Ten Tournament also sold out for the first time in its 30-year history.
Caitlin Clark is set to represent the Hawkeyes in the WNBA, as she is expected to be selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever. The Fever will have 36 of its 40 total games televised nationally for the 2024 season, the highest among all WNBA teams.
The 2024 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on April 15 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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