Iowa to retire Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey in February

No Iowa girls’s basketball participant will put on No. 22 once more.

That’s as a result of, on Feb. 2, the Hawkeyes will retire Caitlin Clark’s jersey throughout an in-arena ceremony as Iowa takes on USC at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment.

Over her 4 years with this system, Clark rewrote each the Iowa and NCAA document books. Final winter, she turned the all-time girls’s NCAA Division I scoring chief, main school scoring chief and all-time Division I males’s and ladies’s scoring champion in a 17-day span. Throughout her profession, Clark additionally broke the document for 3-pointers in a single season, made two nationwide championship appearances, was a four-time AP All-American and was twice named the Nationwide Participant of the 12 months.

All of that solely relays a part of Clark’s legacy, nonetheless, as her affect was seen and felt within the frenzy surrounding each sport she performed. Iowa broke numerous attendance, merchandise and tv information. ESPN stated the 2024 nationwide championship between the Hawkeyes and Gamecocks was the most-watched basketball sport (males’s or girls’s school or professional) since 2019, averaging 18.9 million viewers and peaking at 24.1 million viewers, a 90 p.c enhance from the 2023 title sport.

“I’m perpetually proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a particular place in my coronary heart that’s greater than simply basketball,” Clark stated in a press release. “It means the world to me to obtain this honor and to rejoice it with my household, mates and alumni. It is going to be a fantastic feeling to search for within the rafters and see my jersey alongside those who I’ve admired for thus lengthy.”

To the rafters.

2.2.25@CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/Qjq1Y1VfrZ

— Iowa Girls’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 18, 2024

“Caitlin Clark has not solely redefined excellence on the court docket however has additionally impressed numerous younger athletes to pursue their goals with ardour and dedication,” Director of Athletics Beth Goetz stated. “Her exceptional achievements have left an indelible mark on the College of Iowa and the world of girls’s basketball.”

When Clark’s No. 22 is raised to the rafters it’ll be part of Michelle Edwards’ No. 30 and Megan Gustafson’s No. 10 to grow to be the third girls’s basketball participant to have their numbers honored at Iowa.

With Clark having transitioned to the skilled ranks — the place she made the All-WNBA first-team as a rookie with the Indiana Fever — the Hawkeyes entered right into a transitional season. Shortly after final 12 months, longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retired, giving manner for her longtime affiliate head coach, Jan Jensen, to tackle the lead position. Now led by junior ahead Hannah Stuelke and senior switch guard Lucy Olsen, Iowa opened the season successful its first eight video games. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes have dropped two of their final three contests, falling to Tennessee and Michigan State.

Iowa’s matchup on Feb. 2 shall be its first towards the Trojans following USC’s transfer to the Large Ten. USC is led by JuJu Watkins, who regardless of being solely a sophomore, is already considered as an inheritor obvious to Clark by way of persevering with to raise girls’s school basketball.

Tipoff for USC-Iowa is about for 1:30 p.m. ET and the competition will air on FOX.

“Retiring her quantity is a testomony to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that may proceed to encourage future generations,” Goetz stated. “Hawkeye followers are desirous to say thanks for thus many unbelievable moments.”