USC Coach Details Why Team Watched Caitlin Clark Jersey Retirement After Loss to Iowa Her decision moved everyone with its noble sportsmanship rarely seen in today’s sports world
On Sunday afternoon, after an emotional upset win by the Hawkeyes over the No. 4-ranked USC Trojans, Iowa’s women’s basketball team took a remarkable step, retiring the No. 22 jersey of star guard Caitlin Clark just a year after she left school following a record-breaking career.
Clark, of course, remade women’s basketball in her time with the Hawkeyes. She broke 45 Division I records and scored 3,951 points in her four seasons. She led the Big Ten in assists all four seasons she played at Iowa.
She also led the nation in assists three times, and led in scoring twice.
Heading into the ceremony, which took place after the game on Sunday afternoon, Clark said in an interview with 247 Sports that she probably would get emotional.
“I think it’s hard to probably feel all the emotions until I’m going to be inside of Carver and really see it, and experience that with my family,” Clark said. “Now that I’m not actually going to be playing, I feel like I’ll be more emotional even though I’m not a super emotional person.”
Former Iowa Hawkeyes player Caitlin Clark
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Indeed, she did, as did just about everyone at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. And credit should go, too, to the visiting Trojans, because despite suffering just their second loss of the season, the team did not immediately head for the exits, but instead paid respect to the accomplishments and impact of Clark.
Wrote Iowa reporter David Eickholdt of CBS and 247 Sports: “USC players and coaches remain on their bench as Iowa honors Caitlin Clark. Not needed, but it should go noticed. Class.”
USC’s coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, has been a fan of Clark, and has said she welcomes advice from Clark on helping the Trojans’ sophomore star, JuJu Watkins, handle the onslaught of attention she has gotten this year.
After the ceremony, Gottlieb said it was always her plan to keep her team in place to watch Clark’s number be retired.
“I am really impressed with the atmosphere here, the love for women’s basketball, the appreciation for what Caitlin has done …” Gottlieb said. “We planned prior to this the game to stay for that moment to honor her and where women’s basketball is.”
