When top-seeded Iowa (30-4, 15-3 Big Ten) welcomes in No. 8 seed West Virginia (25-7, 12-6 Big 12) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, it figures to be another raucous environment inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
It’ll also be a bittersweet one though, too.
For better or for worse, it will be the final home game for longtime Iowa stars Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall.
During her time at Iowa, Clark transcended into women’s college basketball’s biggest star. The 6-foot senior guard became the NCAA’s Division I men’s and women’s all-time scoring leader.
Clark was last season’s consensus national player of the year and figures to lock down all of those awards again this season. Along the way, she created some truly memorable individual moments in Iowa City.
As she readies for her final game inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark shared a message to the Iowa fan base.
“I think the biggest thing is just thank you and I’m grateful for these three years I’ve had. But, even four. They supported us even when they weren’t able to walk in the doors. A lot of these fans have been supporters of the Iowa women’s basketball program before I got here. Obviously, we’ve brought in some new ones. I hope they continue to support this program.
“The girls deserve it, coach Bluder deserves it and I know they will. But, I think the biggest thing is just their support of women’s basketball. We’re proud of them. They should be proud of themselves for everything they’ve done to grow this game. I’ll miss getting to play in this arena more than anything. It’s been a special ride,” Clark said.
Iowa will look to advance to the Sweet 16 when it battles West Virginia at 7 p.m. on Monday night. The game will air on ESPN.
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