A foundation of success already existed for the Iowa Women’s Basketball team before Caitlin Clark ever donned a black and gold jersey. A loyal (and growing) fanbase, NCAA Tournament appearances nearly every year under head coach Lisa Bluder, and 2019 National Player of the Year Megan Gustafson already had more eyes on the Hawkeye program than one might have thought, especially compared to the likes of stalwarts in the game, like UConn, Notre Dame, Baylor, and South Carolina. And yet, the gap between the elite and the early-tournament exit programs was more like a gulch for a program like Iowa.
Enter Caitlin Clark.
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The hometown guard chose the Hawkeyes over Notre Dame because of her connection with the coaching staff…and the opportunity to elevate the program from a second round exit to title contention. After Clark’s freshman season ended with an unexpected Elite Eight run, the Hawkeyes were bounced out of the NCAA Tournament in the second rough in her sophomore year, the doubters came out in full force. As Clark’s national prominence continued to grow, the results needed to match the hype if it was going to be merited in the eyes of the women’s basketball community. Suddenly, a deep tournament run became more than a goal for the program to achieve…it became an expectation from the outside world.
Clark, Bluder, and her teammates made it happen…twice. Clark’s prominence helped create a sellout streak for three seasons in a row — and counting. Her jersey forever hangs in the rafters of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Clark and Iowa were a perfect match, one that turned a star into a superstar and elevated a program and fanbase that had been ready and waiting to take the next step.
If you’re reading this, chances are, you already know that. You, like so many other fans in Iowa and across the country, witnessed it. We might even still be witnessing it as Clark continues to elevate her professional career. So let’s take a step back and re-witness Caitlin Clark’s top 10 culture-shifting, record-setting moments from her time in an Iowa jersey.
Note: This is not anywhere near an exhaustive list. There are a literal metric ton of Caitlin Clark ‘best’ plays and moments. These are the ones that live rent-free in my head, the ones that for some I still thing, wow, I watched that happen in front of my eyes. That’s what we’re going for here.
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No 10: Clark scores 46 points in loss to Michigan (Feb. 6, 2022)
Down 2 starters and trailing by as many as 25 points on the road against the No. 6 Wolverines, sophomore Caitlin Clark erupted in the 4th quarter to pretty much single-handedly bring the Hawkeyes back into a game they had no business being in. Caitlin scored 25 of her (then) career high 46 points in the 4th quarter.
This is the moment (at least for me) when I saw the vision of just how lethal Caitlin Clark could be on the basketball court, how she could take over a game and almost do the impossible to earn her team the win.
Yes, this one ended in a loss, but in true Caitlin Clark fashion, it was a moment that fueled the rest of her career (and possibly a personal vendetta against Michigan).
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No. 9: Crossover at Kinnick (October 15, 2023)
The only reason this is “low” on the list is because it wasn’t a real game, but still, 100% a memorable moment. Let’s be real, Iowa Athletics wouldn’t have agreed to this if Caitlin Clark wasn’t involved. Pack the stands of the football stadium to watch an exhibition women’s basketball game? At least when they had wrestling in Kinnick, the match counted!
This moment — setting the single-game women’s basketball attendance record — was a testament to Clark’s stardom and the meteoric rise of an Iowa fanbase who suddenly could not get enough women’s basketball. From the Wave at the end of the first quarter, to the marching band performing a halftime show just like a football game, this was a moment that won’t happen again for a long time — if ever.
No 8: Buzzer beater against Michigan State (Jan 2, 2024)
Two straight Final Four appearances make a lot of fans forget about the grind of the conference season that is required in order for your team to even make the NCAA Tournament. Or really just the grind in general of playing that much basketball. The Clark-era Hawkeyes had plenty of games that they should have won but didn’t *cough* IUPUI *cough* and plenty of games that were a struggle.
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In this game, an unranked but scrappy Michigan State team came into Carver and gave the No. 4 Hawkeyes hell for nearly 40 minutes. No one but Caitlin and sophomore Hannah Stuelke scored in double digits, and Clark, not getting a ton from her teammates, had to increase her shot volume because of it.
Game tied at 73 all with 24 seconds left, Molly Davis let the clock tick down for the final shot, finding Stuelke at the top of the key. Stuelke struggled with the pass but managed to find Clark standing near the beak of the midcourt Tigerhawk, who jumped into the beak and launched the potential game winner.
Swish.
No 7: Triple double vs. Louisville to go to the Final Four
Caitlin Clark vs. Hailey Van Lith for a spot in the Final Four? Who says no?
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This was the first of two consecutive games (more on the other one later…) in the 2023 NCAA where Clark went absolutely supernova to ensure the victory. Iowa made a program record 16 3-pointers on the night, with 8 of them coming from Clark alone. She finished the night with her 11th triple double of her career, tallying 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a beat down of Louisville so bad that it sent HVL packing to LSU.
No. 6: First triple-double of Iowa career (Dec 22, 2020)
Just six games into her Iowa career, a highly touted guard named Caitlin Clark was on a mission to prove that despite only being a freshman, she was out to make an immediate impact for her team. Sure, she had scored 27 points in her first Iowa game a month earlier, but triple doubles were few and far between for the program — and the sport in general.
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Clark only scored 13 points, but used this game to prove that even if she wasn’t going to take over the scoring column, she could make an impact in other categories that were just as important, grabbing 13 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first of 17 career triple-doubles for Clark at Iowa, putting her in second place all time behind Sabrina Ionescu for the coveted mark.
No. 5: Buzzer beater against Indiana (Feb 26, 2023)
A top-10 battle in Carver-Hawkeye Arena between the No. 6 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 2 ranked Indiana Hoosiers in the final regular season matchup of the year for Iowa in front of a crowd that was starting to frequently sell out the arena, the matchup lived up to the hype.
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A back-and-forth battle for most of the game, Indiana kept Iowa from scoring any field goals for most of the final 1:30 of the game, taking an 85-83 lead with just under a second left to play. After a lengthy review that added a bit more time on the clock, Lisa Bluder called a timeout to advance the ball across the court, where Kate Martin found a wide open Clark coming off a Monika Czinano screen to hit the game winning basket.
All-time shot, all-time celebration from Clark in a season loaded with all-time moments.
No. 4: 2024 Final Four vs. UConn (April 5, 2024)
Caitlin vs. Paige, with the winner goes to the national championship? Yeah, this game lives rent free in my head.
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After a loss to Bueckers and the Huskies in the Elite Eight as a freshman, there’s no doubt that redemption was on Clark’s mind in this game. The weight of the world was literally on her shoulders in this game. The pressure of getting her team back to its second-consecutive championship game appearance. The constant comparisons between her and Bueckers and the artificial battle for best guard in the country.
Despite all that, Iowa came back a 12-point deficit at half, as Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 23, while Clark added in 21 points and 7 assists to get Iowa back into the national championship game.
No. 3: The Elite Eight LSU rematch (April 1, 2024)
The only reason this one beats out UConn Final Four win is because of what it meant to the fanbase after the…bitter…discourse that ensued after the Tigers beat the Hawkeyes to be crowned national champions the previous year. Everyone knew the tournament committee was going to do everything they could to get a rematch for the ratings, and thankfully, the game delivered on every front.
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The result was one of Clark’s best games of her career, a 41-point, 12 assist, 7 rebound magnum opus that sent Angel Reese and Kim Mulkey home. Iowa was the better team as a whole, but Clark was the best player on the floor by a mile, as she once again found a way to will her team to victory, no matter what it took.
No. 2: Breaking the NCAA Scoring record (February 15, 2024)
I don’t know that I will ever experience a night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena like this one. From the moment fans entered the arena, there was a palpable buzz in every fan who knew they were about to see something special. It didn’t matter that Clark and the Hawkeyes were coming off a bad loss, where Clark essentially got in her own head about the record and couldn’t score when her team needed it most.
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Clark needed 8 points to break Kelsey Plum’s record heading into the game, and she did so by scoring the first 8 points of the game, including the absolutely iconic shot from nearly half court that is now forever etched (well, screen printed) on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena floor with the No. 22.
Clark finished the night with a program record 49 points in the team’s win against the Michigan Wolverines…a record setting performance, and redemption for her thwarted comeback attempt against the Wolverines three years prior.
No. 1: The South Carolina masterpiece (March 31, 2023)
No other game in Clark’s Iowa career comes close to the meteoric impact this win had on her stardom, and on the program. Clark, in her first Final Four game of her career, has to face off against the undefeated, title favorite South Carolina Gamecocks. From former assistance coach Raina Harmon’s perfect scout to Clark’s performance, this was a game of destiny.
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Clark finished the game with 41 points, her second consecutive NCAA Tournament game scoring 40+, and earned the program its first championship game berth. When people think of Clark and her ability to completely take over a game in every possibly way, this is the game they think of.
One of the most dominant games from one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball history. Truly a game-changing moment.
