Caitlin Clark had a terrific Sunday afternoon.
The College of Iowa ladies’s basketball program immortalized Clark’s profession perpetually as they formally retired her No. 22 jersey and hung it within the rafters of Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment. Clark stood along with her household because the quantity was raised to the highest of the ability.
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Former Iowa guard and present Indiana Fever WNBA participant Caitlin Clark speaks throughout a information convention earlier than the sport between Iowa and USC, Feb. 2, 2025, in Iowa Metropolis. (AP Photograph/Charlie Neibergall)
Clark then acquired to look at the Hawkeyes stun No. 4 USC for one of many greatest wins of their season. Lucy Olsen scored 28 factors and Addison O’Grady had 13 within the 76-69 win. Iowa opened the sport on a 17-1 run however had been down at halftime earlier than righting the ship and pulling off the victory.
Olsen and O’Grady had 23 of Iowa’s 25 fourth-quarter factors.
JuJu Watkins, who is ready to be the subsequent ladies’s basketball star, led the workforce with 27 factors, 5 rebounds and three assists. She was 8-of-22 from the sector and performed 40 minutes.
However it wasn’t sufficient for the Trojans to carry off Iowa.
Clark, who grew to become school basketball’s all-time main scorer whereas main Iowa to back-to-back nationwide championship appearances, spoke about her jersey retirement earlier than the sport.
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Southern California guard JuJu Watkins drives to the basket throughout the first half in opposition to Iowa. (AP Photograph/Charlie Neibergall)
“I really feel like I have already got these butterflies in your abdomen while you stroll in right here,” Clark stated throughout a pregame press convention. “Not a lot for a basketball sport now, however clearly simply to be round everyone and to take pleasure in this atmosphere. I don’t should go and compete for 40 minutes, although I want perhaps I might. I feel it is going to undoubtedly be somewhat bit extra emotional that I don’t should compete.”
A sellout crowd of 14,998 attended the sport. Former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and former teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall had been in attendance. Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and comic David Letterman had been additionally on the sport.
Clark mirrored on the profitable Iowa did whereas she was on the press convention.
“The profitable got here due to the nice tradition that we had,” she stated. “And for me, I hope that’s the factor that at all times stays intact, and I do know it is going to, due to the nice teaching workers we have now and the kind of gamers that they’re right here.
Commemorative towels for former Iowa guard and present Indiana Fever WNBA participant Caitlin Clark are proven earlier than her jersey retirement ceremony, Feb. 2, 2025, in Iowa Metropolis. (AP Photograph/Charlie Neibergall)
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“We had gamers that had been selfless. We had gamers that didn’t care what number of factors you had been going to attain. They’re going to do no matter they might on your teammates. They had been going to carry their teammates accountable. And I feel that’s a misplaced artwork in school as of late, and also you don’t at all times see that.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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