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Caitlin Clark will be the last women’s basketball player to ever wear the No. 22 for the University of Iowa.
During a Wednesday celebration of the Hawkeyes’ second straight run to the national title game, athletic director Beth Goetz announced that they would retire Clark’s number and make her just the third women’s basketball player to ever have their number retired hang from the rafters.
“Today I want to add just one more [honor], Goetz told Clark while addressing the fans during the ceremony. “With almost as much certain as Caitlin’s shot from the logo would drop though the net to the roar of this excited Carver crowd, we always knew your jersey would be hanging in the rafters one day. … It’s a privilege for me to now make that official. You will be the last to wear No. 22.”
The latest honor is a fitting end to the time Clark spent with the Hawkeyes, where she helped effectively changed women’s basketball going forward.
Clark shattered just about every record there was in the sport — breaking 45 Division I records — and elevating the women’s game to viewership numbers that had never been seen before.
Her historic 2023-24 season included finishing her collegiate career in points with 3,951 — the most of any men’s or women’s Division I player.
“It’s super incredible. Something I’m very thankful for,” Clark said about the honor. “Obviously I’ve had some amazing teammates over the course of my four years here. There’s been a lot really good 22s that have come before me and played for this program, whether it was Kathleen Doyle or Sam Logic. That number holds a lot of weight far beyond my name and I guess I’m just really grateful and it will be a special day when it happens.”
Wednesday was the final chance for Hawkeyes to say goodbye to Clark, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft taking place next week in Brooklyn.
Clark was given loud ovations throughout the night and she stayed after to sign autographs for fans who had shown up at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“You all inspired me just as much as I inspired you and you allowed me to live out my dream every single day. For that I’m forever thankful,” Clark told the crowd.
Now headed to the professional ranks, Clark is anticipated to boost the WNBA and the league is already planning on capitalizing on her arrival.
The Indiana Fever have the No. 1 overall pick, and on Wednesday, the WNBA announced its streaming and television schedule for 2024 with a heavy emphasis on the Fever, who are expected to take Clark.
The Fever will have 36 of their 40 games featured on either a national television broadcast or one of the league’s streaming partners.