THE IOWA HAWKEYES have announced the decision to honor Caitlin Clark by retiring her jersey.
WNBA star Clark enjoyed an impressive four-year college career in Iowa.
Caitlin Clark is being honored by having her No.22 jersey retired by Iowa college[/caption]
During her time there, she averaged 28.4 points with 8.2 assists in 139 games.
However, arguably her crowning achievement arrived as she eclipsed Pete Maravich and Kelsey Plum in becoming the leading scorer across both men’s and women’s college basketball.
Clark’s success did not stop once she left college, as she picked up the Rookie of the Year award at Indiana Fever while becoming the fastest rookie to ever put up 100 three-pointers in a single season.
The 22-year-old was also named Time’s Athlete of the Year for 2024.
So it’s perhaps a fitting tribute to her stellar year that Clark is now having her already iconic No.22 jersey retired by her college.
Iowa made the announcement on Wednesday and the ceremony will take place during the team’s matchup with USC Trojans on February 2 – another play of the No.22 number given it is the second month of the year.
In a statement, Clark said: “I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball.
“It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni.”
Reacting to the news on social media, one fan said: “Congrats Caitlin.”
A second said: “Well deserved, Caitlin!”
A third added: “2/2, I see what you did there.”
Another said: “GOAT OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL.”
‘A wasted opportunity?’
By Damian Burchardt, Assistant US Sports Editor
CAITLIN Clark’s omission from the Team USA roster can be easily justified from a purely basketball perspective.
The Indiana Fever star had an up-and-down start to the 2024 WNBA season, leading the league in turnovers while shooting under 30% for 3 through the first three weeks of the campaign.
She didn’t outplay the likes of Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jewell Loyd to earn the nod.
A little break could actually aid Clark’s transition from college basketball to the pros.
The 6-foot guard hardly had time to rest between Iowa’s run to the March Madness final, the 2024 NBA Draft, and the WNBA season tip-off.
On the other hand, Clark’s absence could be viewed as a wasted opportunity to promote the Olympic women’s basketball team in Paris.
Considering the humongous hype her first week in the W generated, she would definitely boost viewership figures of Team USA’s games.
