IOWA CITY − When the moment calls for something special, especially at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Caitlin Clark has been known to deliver.
We know this, of course.
Even with cardboard cutouts in the stands, with Iowa facing a 17-point deficit to Iowa State as an Iowa basketball freshman in 2020, Clark put on a dazzling comeback show to steal an in-state rivalry win.
With a Big Ten regular-season title on the line in 2022, at the end of Clark’s sophomore year, Iowa sold out Carver-Hawkeye for the first time since 1988. And, boy, she put on a show to remember – going 8-of-11 from 3-point range and scoring 38 points with 11 assists in a 104-80 rout of sixth-ranked Michigan.
Carver’s fans have been emotionally invested in Clark for that reason. She always rose to the occasion when it mattered most. That also included ESPN’s “College GameDay” visit to end the 2023 season (and an unforgettable walk-off 3 to beat No. 2 Indiana) and the night she was set to break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA scoring record – and merely scored a career-high (and arena record) 49 points.
So, of course, she put on a show in her first professional game in Iowa City – while simultaneously kicking off her second season in the WNBA.
“Something about this gym,” Clark would say afterward with a smile, “just makes me play well.”
Clark scored on a sweet slide-step 3-pointer 32 seconds into the Indiana Fever’s May 4 exhibition game – from just inside the tip of logo Herky’s beak, for the record – and kept it rolling. She finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in just under 19 minutes of action as Indiana rolled to a 108-44 rout of the helpless but spirited Brazil National Team.
Knowing the gravity of her Iowa City return, Clark wore her black-and-gold “Bruce Lee Kobe” Nike shoes “that I would have worn literally for every big game in my career at Iowa,” she said. “I was like, ‘I have to break ’em out.'”
Clark was a blast to watch in her first game in Iowa City in 13½ months, since the Hawkeyes escaped West Virginia in the round-of-32 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
But one of the cool things about this day evolved at sold-out Carver-Hawkeye was how the fans in attendance roared for all the Fever players, not just No. 22. Clark said she told her teammates before the game, “it’s going to be the loudest arena you’ve ever played in.”
Well, when Kelsey Mitchell lobbed home a 3 early in the first quarter, the place went nuts – with a reading of 116 on a press-row decibels reader, just a tick lower than 117 for Clark’s first 3. The noise continued as new acquisition DeWanna Bonner swished a deep ball from the left wing. After Clark checked out for the first time, midway through the first quarter, the crowd was still completely engaged for the five Fever players not wearing No. 22.
With 2:18 left in the first quarter, Sydney Colson flipped a behind-the-back pass to Natasha Howard for two. Carver’s noise levels exploded, as if Kate Martin had just found Gabbie Marshall for a splashed-home 3-pointer in 2023 or 2024.
There is a lot of unfounded talk nationally that all these “new” WNBA fans are all about Clark. While it’s true that Clark is the driving force of exploding interest, the Sunday afternoon crowd at Carver showed by the thousands that these fans (dressed in a pretty even mix of Fever red and Hawkeye gold, which pleased Clark) have become Indiana Fever fans as well – just like they loved Kate and Gabbie and Monika and Hannah and Syd and everyone else along the way.
“One of the best parts about the fan base is it’s not a one-player thing,” Clark said before the game. “It was the same thing during my time at Iowa. You go down the roster, and they loved every single girl on the team, whether they played 40 minutes a night or whether they never got in the game.”
Bringing this Fever team to Iowa City for a game that doesn’t count in the WNBA standings – the real wins and losses start to get tallied May 17, when the Fever play Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky – was a stroke of genius by new team president Kelly Krauskopf. Of course, there was plenty of money to be grabbed here, and those in Iowa happily swiped their credit cards for $60 to $200 face-value tickets that sold out in 15 minutes.
But this was a move that demonstrated the passion of Hawkeye fans who have become Fever fans. And a day like this can’t help but keep those folks in the fold going into a WNBA season that should see Clark and the Fever contending for a league title. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Indiana at +340 has the second-best title odds behind the New York Liberty’s +220.
This Iowa City stage hit the mark for women’s basketball in our state and in the WNBA. Of course, the who’s-who turned out Sunday – including Marshall, recent Hawkeye assistant coach Raina Harmon, former coach Lisa Bluder and the current Iowa women’s roster (which was introduced during an in-game break, with Kylie Feuerbach conducting an in-game interview and coach Jan Jensen getting the mic later).
This was another celebration of not only Clark but the impact of Iowa women’s basketball.
“These are the moments that you kind of just want to stay in for forever,” Clark said. “I’m certain I’ll be looking back at a lot of pictures and videos from today.”
Of course, Clark was at the forefront of this fun Fever day. She didn’t plan on playing a ton of minutes, after missing Indiana’s first exhibition game the day before with “leg tightness” – but she looked great against Brazil, completely revved up for her second pro season. In fact, she’s been adding muscle to help her prepare for a physical WNBA regular season and postseason.
And, to her credit, she made sure to give the fans what they wanted in an unbelievably lopsided affair. At one point midway through the third quarter, she launched an attempt from the “22” logo – the spot from which she broke Plum’s scoring record, 33 feet, 6 inches from the rim – but misfired.
Always aware of everything going on, Clark got an inbounds pass late in the third quarter off a rare Brazil make. She quickly looked at the clock and saw it read 30 seconds. And with Indiana leading, 87-32, she knew coach Stephanie White was about to pull her for the day.
So Clark took three dribbles and just after crossing halfcourt pulled up in front of ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo and probably 3 feet behind the No. 22 logo.
“WOW,” Ruocco exclaimed as she released the deep shot.
High arc, perfect spin.
Swish.
“You bet!” Ruocco roared with his signature call. “From BEYOND the logo!”
Clark smiled and pointed at Ruocco, knowing that even in a game that meant very little, she gave her fans (and the ESPN audience) another unforgettable experience at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“Between 30 and 33 (seconds), that’s like two-for-one range,” Clark said. “I was like, ‘Eh, why not? Might as well launch one.’ That was pretty fun. You don’t always realize how far back you are. I had to give the fans a little something.”
Just like she always has.
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 30 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.
