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Photo: Caitlin Clark Shows Off Iowa WCBB's 2024 Big Ten Title, Final Four Rings

Oct 26, 2024
IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after drawing a foul late in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Womens Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after drawing a foul late in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Womens Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark may have not won a national title with Iowa, but she still earned some serious hardware in her final college season.

The Indiana Fever star returned to her former school on Saturday to receive rings celebrating the Hawkeyes' 2024 Big Ten championship and the team's appearance in the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament.

Clark and her teammates celebrated with Iowa football's Kid Captain prior to the home team's Saturday afternoon game against Northwestern.

Clark played four seasons for Iowa between 2020 and 2024 before the Fever selected her with the No. 1 pick of the 2024 WNBA draft.

She returned to Iowa City to join fellow former Iowa players including Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall, the former Hawkeyes star who retired from basketball in order to attend graduate school, in celebrating the 2023-24 team.

The Big Ten championship ring features an engraving on the inside reading "back to back to back."

Clark was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as Iowa won three straight conference tournaments between 2022 and 2024. This spring she averaged 28.7 points and 11.3 assists through three games to lead the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten tournament title.

Clark was also instrumental in Iowa's second straight trip to the NCAA championship game this spring.

She averaged 30 points through five tournament games, including a 41-point outing to oust defending champions LSU in the Elite Eight, to lead the Hawkeyes to the national championship game against South Carolina.

Her final college game may have ended in a 75-87 loss, but Clark still departed from Iowa having established herself as the most prolific scorer in men's and women's college basketball history with 3,951 career points.

Fans will now have to wait and see whether they will have to wait until the 2025 WNBA season to watch Clark play again, or if she will join Unrivaled, the 3v3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, when its inaugural season begins in January. The league is currently preparing a "Lionel Messi-like" offer to encourage Clark to join, Michael McCarthy recently reported for Front Office Sports.

Lisa Bluder Retires as Iowa WCBB HC; Reached 2024 NCAA Title Game with Caitlin Clark

May 13, 2024
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 7: Head coach Lisa Bluder of the Iowa Hawkeyes arrives prior to a game at the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game between Iowa and South Carolina at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 7: Head coach Lisa Bluder of the Iowa Hawkeyes arrives prior to a game at the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game between Iowa and South Carolina at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark isn't the only legend departing the Iowa women's basketball program this year.

Head coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement on Monday, and the team called her a "basketball icon, legendary leader and all-time great" while revealing the news:

Iowa announced Jan Jensen will be the next head coach. Jensen was the associate head coach under Bluder for the past 20 seasons.

As for Bluder, she wrote a letter to "Hawkeye Nation" on Monday announcing her retirement.

"There is never an ideal time to retire and I am sure this fall that I will miss the games, the practices, the road trips, the atmosphere, the tremendous fans and, most importantly, the players," she wrote. "But my belief in the foundation of this program, knowing that success is now an unrelenting component of women's basketball at the University of Iowa gives me comfort as I transition to become the program's biggest champion."

She also explained she spent time discussing her future with her husband, David, and the student-athletes after this past season's run to the national championship and decided that it was time to move on from her coaching role.

But she will still be around Iowa and ended her letter by saying, "It is my hope that now with more time and energy, I can be an asset to our basketball program and this athletics department in any way that I am able."

Clark reacted to the news:

Bluder first became a head coach for Drake for 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000. She was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year during that span and led the Bulldogs to three regular-season conference crowns, four conference tournament titles and four NCAA tournament appearances.

She then moved to Iowa at the start of the 2000-01 campaign and helped build the program over the course of 24 seasons.

The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten tournament in her first season, which clinched their first of 18 NCAA tournaments they qualified for during Bluder's tenure. They struggled to break through in March Madness during the coach's early years but eventually reached their first Sweet 16 under her guidance in 2015.

Iowa also became one of the best programs in the country in recent years, taking home the Big Ten regular-season title in 2021-22 and winning the conference tournament in each of the last three seasons.

The Hawkeyes also went to the Elite Eight in 2019, Sweet 16 in 2021 and national championship game in each of the last two seasons.

While much of the recent credit has gone to Clark for her record-setting performances on the court, Bluder was the coach on the sidelines who helped the guard reach unprecedented heights and guide the Iowa program to the Final Four for the first time since 1993.

Clark was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, meaning the Hawkeyes could be in something of a transition period after the departure of two legends.

But she and Bluder guided them to levels the program had never previously reached.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark Wins 2024 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Award

Apr 3, 2024
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes cuts down the net after beating the LSU Tigers 94-87 in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on April 01, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes cuts down the net after beating the LSU Tigers 94-87 in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on April 01, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

There was no doubt who would take home the Naismith Women's College Player of the Year award this season, and it was made official Wednesday.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark, who has captured the attention of the nation with her record-breaking performances and long-range shots throughout the season, won the award for the second straight year and defeated fellow finalists Cameron Brink of Stanford, Paige Bueckers of UConn and JuJu Watkins of USC.

Clark was the Naismith Award winner, Wooden Award winner, Associated Press Player of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Tournament MVP all while leading the Hawkeyes to the national championship game last season but has somehow been even better in 2023-24.

All she's done is lead the nation in points (32.0) and assists (9.0) per game this season while guiding Iowa to a Big Ten tournament title and Final Four. She is also two victories away from adding a national title to her legendary resume.

The likely No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft also cemented her place in the history books by first passing Kelsey Plum in February to become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women's basketball and then surpassing Pete Maravich to claim the record across the men's and women's games.

And she did it all while launching shots from well beyond the arc and drawing massive crowds for both home and away games as appointment viewing.

In addition to the nation-best scoring and assist totals, Clark has averaged 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while connecting on 46 percent of her field-goal attempts and 38 percent of her triples this season. She impacts the game in a variety of ways and is a threat to post a triple-double every time she steps on the court.

All that is missing is a national championship, and she might win that too.

Clark got revenge in the Elite Eight by defeating the same LSU program that beat her Hawkeyes in last year's national title game. She poured in 41 points behind nine made three-pointers to go with 12 assists, seven rebounds and two steals in an all-around dominant performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YjfErppU5Y

It was her effort in the third quarter that created separation for Iowa and propelled it into the Final Four for the second consecutive year.

She will meet fellow finalist and 2020-21 Naismith Award winner Bueckers in the Final Four on Friday. Whichever star leads their team to victory in that one could face undefeated South Carolina in the national championship game.

What an ending that would be for Clark after she turned in one of the most memorable seasons in college basketball history.

Caitlin Clark Amazes WCBB Fans as Iowa Beats LSU's Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey in Elite 8

Apr 2, 2024
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots the ball over Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Tigers during the first half in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on April 01, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots the ball over Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Tigers during the first half in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on April 01, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark and Iowa got their revenge.

The Hawkeyes are headed to the Final Four for the second straight season thanks to a 94-87 victory over LSU in Monday's Elite Eight showdown of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament.

It was a national championship game rematch, and Iowa delivered this time around in the showdown everyone has been waiting for all season.

In a game filled with star power, Clark shined the brightest.

She finished with 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and two steals behind nine made three-pointers, which helped her set the record for the most made career three-pointers in Division 1 women's basketball history.

It was yet another record for someone who also became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer earlier this year by passing Pete Maravich. She also prevented LSU stars Angel Reese (17 points and 20 rebounds) and Flau'jae Johnson (23 points) from winning a second straight title and earned plenty of social media reaction in the process:

https://twitter.com/HighlightHER/status/1774954525117346130
https://twitter.com/nrarmour/status/1774956743555989605
https://twitter.com/BigGameTae/status/1774941273406758961

The fireworks started early.

First, Reeseโ€”who didn't hesitate to talk trash to Clark and others during last year's title gameโ€”placed a crown on LSU's bench during pregame warmups.

Yet Clark responded by draining her first three-pointer as Iowa set the tone and jumped out to an eight-point lead in the opening minutes.

Naturally, it was Reese who was the driving force behind the Tigers' ensuing 10-0 run to end the first quarter with plays on both ends of the floor, including a steal on a Clark pass to set up an easy transition opportunity.

LSU got a scare in the second quarter when Reese limped to the bench, but she didn't miss much time before returning to what turned into an incredible first half that fittingly ended with a deadlocked score with the two stars going shot-for-shot.

And then the Clark show really started.

All the likely No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft did was connect on four three-pointers in the third quarter alone, many of which were well beyond the arc in her signature fashion. It wasn't just the shooting, though, as she unleashed perfectly placed passes from beyond half court and consistently set up her teammates when the defense collapsed on her.

The end result was an 11-point lead for Iowa going into the fourth quarter, and the deficit would have been even worse for LSU if it wasn't for Johnson carrying her team for stretches with impressive play on both ends even though she was in foul trouble.

Johnson could only do so much, though, and maybe would have had an even bigger impact if LSU head coach Kim Mulkey put her on Clark before the deficit was double digits in the fourth quarter.

Clark was completely dialed in from the start in a signature performance that will stand out as part of a legendary career. The Tigers never truly threatened in the fourth quarter, Reese fouled out and Clark is now just two wins away from checking off the one thing missing from her resume: a national title.

Caitlin Clark Breaks Scoring Record, Excites Fans as Iowa Survives Upset Bid vs. WVU

Mar 26, 2024
IOWA CITY, IOWA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts after a play against the West Virginia Mountaneers during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Rebecca Gratz/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts after a play against the West Virginia Mountaneers during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Rebecca Gratz/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The Iowa women's basketball team is heading to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

Caitlin Clark and the top-seeded Hawkeyes advanced with a 64-54 victory over eighth-seeded West Virginia in Monday's Albany 2 Region second-round showdown at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

They will face No. 5 Colorado in the next round after the Buffaloes defeated fourth-seeded Kansas State.

As is always the case when Iowa takes the floor, the main storyline was Clark.

The record-breaking guard, who became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer earlier this year by passing Pete Maravich and will almost assuredly be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, is the biggest name in the sport and again led the way for her side with 32 points and eight rebounds.

She entered play just 29 points away from surpassing Kelsey Plum's Division 1 women's college basketball record of 1,109 points in a single season and set the mark with a late free throw.

Fittingly, she drew plenty of reaction on social media:

https://twitter.com/jocoolwu/status/1772451701942895012

Clark wasted no time setting the tone when she drained three three-pointers in the first quarter alone, but West Virginia held her to just two points in the second quarter while dialing up the defensive pressure and swarming her all over the floor.

The Mountaineers forced 15 total turnovers, six of which were Clark's. There were times when Iowa appeared to be pressing and playing tight, which led to some of the mistakes.

That defensive pressure didn't go away even when Iowa extended its lead to double digits on two separate occasions in the third quarter. That, along with outside shooting from JJ Quinerly and Kyah Watson, allowed the visitors to consistently battle back and keep the pressure firmly on the Hawkeyes' side.

Iowa's offense was either Clark or nothing for much of the game, which worked when she powered her way into the lane for an and-1 but was a problem when the Mountaineers forced the ball out of her hands and created turnovers while they were in comeback mode.

The home team's first field goal of the fourth quarter didn't come until there were just two minutes and three seconds remaining when Sydney Affolter converted an and-1 to break the tie after a monster block from Gabbie Marshall on the other end.

From there, Quinerly fouled out and Iowa ended up extending its final free-throw advantage over West Virginia to 30-5 by the final whistle. Clark (eight) had nearly as many field goals as the rest of her team combined (nine), and the Hawkeyes survived thanks in large part to the difference in fouls.

But it will likely take better offensive efforts to reach the Final Four as the tournament continues.

WVU's Mark Kellogg Downplays Jab at Iowa's Caitlin Clark: 'I Wasn't Out to Get' Her

Mar 22, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 10: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts in the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Championship at Target Center on March 10, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 10: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts in the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Championship at Target Center on March 10, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark is the best women's basketball player in the NCAA, so when an opposing coach takes a jab at the Iowa Hawkeyes star, people take notice.

Earlier this week, West Virginia women's basketball coach Mark Kellogg seemingly took a shot at Clark after finding out the Mountaineers would be heading to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed in Iowa, saying, "Let's win one and then send Caitlin Clark packing."

Ahead of WVU's matchup against No. 9-seeded Princeton on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Kellogg seemingly walked back his remarks while meeting with reporters on Friday.

"I'm not a [trash-talker] ... I wasn't out to get Caitlin Clark. It's not Mark Kellogg versus Caitlin Clark," Kellogg said, per ESPN's Michael Voepel. "With our seed is honestly where it started. That wasn't really the seed maybe that some people in the room were expecting, not even from me necessarily. So it turned into, 'OK, well, let's get past that. Now let's talk about Princeton.' Then, of course, everybody in the room knows Caitlin Clark."

Iowa earned a No. 1 seed after going 29-4 during the regular season. The Hawkeyes are set to face No. 16 seed Holy Cross on Saturday in the first round.

Since debuting with the Hawkeyes as a freshman in 2020, Clark has been a huge part of Iowa's success and she enters the NCAA Tournament looking to capture a national title before heading to the WNBA.

The NCAA's all-time leading scorerโ€”men's and women'sโ€”has accomplished just about all she could have during her collegiate career. The only thing missing is a national championship.

Clark enters the tournament averaging 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists this season while shooting 46.0 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from deep.

Given Clark's highly competitive nature and star-level talent, Kellogg might regret his initial comments if the Mountaineers have to face the Hawkeyes in this year's tournament.

I would say our region probably has the most talent in it. But at the same time, we're the 1-seed in that region. There's no reason for us to shy away from anything; we can hang with every single team in the country. But also, there's a lot of really good teams in the country that can beat us, and you better come ready to play every single night.

Our group understands that. ... I don't think any any of us would want a cakewalk to the Final Four. That's not how this works. It's not how it worked last year. ... We had to find ways to be resilient to get to where we wanted to go.

In addition to Iowa, the other big title contenders on the women's side include No. 1-seeded South Carolina, which thrashed No. 16 Presbyterian 91-39 on Friday in the first round, No. 3-seed LSU, No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 1 seed USC.

Video: Caitlin Clark Celebrated in Nike Commercial After Breaking NCAA Scoring Record

Mar 3, 2024
IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 3: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after breaking Pete Maravich's all-time NCAA scoring record during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 3, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 3: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after breaking Pete Maravich's all-time NCAA scoring record during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 3, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Nike was ready for the moment.

Almost immediately after Iowa guard Caitlin Clark passed Pete Maravich as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer in men's and women's basketball on Sunday, the apparel company released a commercial celebrating her greatness:

Clark entered Sunday's high-profile showdown against Ohio State just 17 points behind Maravich's mark of 3,667 points. It felt inevitable that she would get the 18 points she needed to become the record-holder, and she accomplished the feat in the first half.

The record-scoring point came on the free-throw line after the Buckeyes were called for a technical foul:

While Clark's pursuit of history was the primary storyline coming into the contest, the game also represented an opportunity for the Hawkeyes to enact some revenge. The Buckeyes defeated Iowa in January and already clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship prior to the rematch.

But a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance is still in play for both teams, and no opponent will want to see the NCAA's all-time leading scorer come tournament time.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark Passes Brittney Griner for 4th on NCAA's All-Time Scoring List

Jan 17, 2024
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 10, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 10, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark's legend grows.

The Iowa superstar moved to fourth on the all-time NCAA women's basketball scoring list Tuesday night, putting up 32 points in a 96-50 win over Wisconsin that took her to 3,306 points for her career.

In the process, she passed former Baylor superstar center Brittney Griner, who scored 3,283 points in her four collegiate seasons (2009-13).

Clark now trails just Missouri State's Jackie Stiles (3,393 points between 1997-01), Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell (3,402 points, 2014-18) and Washington's Kelsey Plum (3,527 points, 2013-17). If she stays healthy and continues putting up over 30 points per game, she very well could break the record this season.

The remarkable aspect about Clark's game is that she isn't just the nation's most lethal and leading scorer, but is also one of the best playmakers in the sport, averaging a cool 7.9 assists per game. That's the second best mark in women's basketball, trailing only Colorado State's McKenna Hofschild (8.4 APG).

Clark also leads the nation in three-pointers made per game (5.1) and has led the No. 2 Hawkeyes to an 18-1 record this season. Only unbeaten South Carolina (15-0) is ranked higher.

She's basically guaranteed to be the top overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, with the Indiana Fever currently holding the top overall selection.

And why would they trade it? Clark is a transcendent talent who has generated a ton of interest in the already growing women's game. She has the chance to be one of the biggest superstars in the history of the sport. Unless Clark decides to return to school, she's the biggest no-brainer with the top overall selection you'll ever see.

Caitlin Clark's Iowa WCBB Sells out Season Tickets for 1st Time in Program History

Aug 15, 2023
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball against Louisville during an Elite 8 college basketball game of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Seattle. Iowa won 97-83. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball against Louisville during an Elite 8 college basketball game of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Seattle. Iowa won 97-83. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

The University of Iowa women's basketball slate doesn't start until Nov. 6, but season tickets for the 2023-24 campaign are already sold out at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa is coming off its first-ever national championship game appearance after reigning consensus player of the year Caitlin Clark guided the Hawkeyes through an amazing NCAA tournament run that included a Final Four win over undefeated South Carolina.

The 6'0" guard averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. She then set an NCAA tournament record (women's or men's) with 191 total points over her six games.

The impending senior is back for another year at least and can even play in 2024-25 after the NCAA granted her and other athletes whose seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic another season of eligibility.

For now, Clark and the Hawkeyes are focused on the 2023-24 season, which begins with a Nov. 6 home game against Fairleigh Dickinson.

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