Tag: Iowa women’s basketball

Caitlin Clark reportedly nearing eight-figure deal with Nike that includes signature shoe

Caitlin Clark is about to get paid by Nike in a massive way.

Back up that BRINKS truck.

Per a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, former Hawkeye superstar and recent No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark, is nearing an eight-figure endorsement deal from Nike that would create her own signature shoe.

Before she’s even played a game in the WNBA, Clark is already a massive needle mover for the league. With Clark going No. 1 overall to the Fever, ESPN’s coverage of the 2024 WNBA draft registered the largest TV audience of any kind for the league since Memorial Day in the year 2000.

The 2.45 million viewers for the WNBA draft quadrupled the viewership from the year prior.

With that type of pull and star power, it’s only natural that Nike would want to cash in on Clark’s popularity.

Per Charania, Clark’s deal with Nike expired after the conclusion of this past women’s college basketball season. That allowed Clark to hear sizable offers from Nike, Under Armour and Adidas.

It sounds like Clark is sticking with the Swoosh. Given their prior relationship, it’s not surprising to see Clark head in that direction.

According to SportsPro, Clark joins a group of five other current WNBA players to have earned shoe deals. Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu are both on Nike’s roster.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi has previously released a signature shoe with Nike, while Las Vegas Aces forward Candace Parker and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart have also released shoes with Adidas and Puma, respectively.

Those are some of the biggest names in women’s basketball and it speaks to Clark’s greatness that she’s among them. Clark’s star continues to shine bright as her WNBA career begins.

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Kentucky transfer G Maddie Scherr cancels Iowa visit following Lucy Olsen commitment

Following Lucy Olsen’s commitment to Iowa, Kentucky transfer guard Maddie Scherr canceled her scheduled visit to the Hawkeyes.

The Iowa Hawkeyes originally had a visitor scheduled for Thursday.

Instead, Kentucky transfer point guard Maddie Scherr will look elsewhere. The 5-foot-10 senior guard canceled her visit after Iowa picked up a commitment from Villanova transfer point guard Lucy Olsen.

Hawkeye Report‘s Kyle Huesmann confirmed that news on Wednesday night.

It makes sense. Olsen steps right in as Iowa’s incumbent starting point guard, which would have been the starting slot Scherr was seeking. Plus, with Olsen’s commitment, Iowa is at the full 15 scholarship players.

That group features incoming freshmen Ava Heiden, Taylor Stremlow, Teagan Mallegni, Callie Levin and Aaliyah Guyton, redshirt freshman Ava Jones, sophomore Kennise Johnson, juniors Taylor McCabe, Jada Gyamfi and Hannah Stuelke and seniors Lucy Olsen, Sydney Affolter, Kylie Feuerbach, AJ Ediger and Addison O’Grady.

Scherr averaged 12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season with the Wildcats. The Florence, Ky., native shot 33.5% from the field, 28.8% from 3-point range and 81.6% from the charity stripe.

While the Hawkeyes don’t have another roster spot for Scherr, Iowa fans will no doubt be excited about adding last season’s No. 3 leading scorer nationally in Olsen.

Olsen averaged 23.3 points per game last season with Villanova. The junior shot 43.8% from the field, 29.4% from 3-point range and 80.7% from the line. Olsen also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

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Iowa Hawkeyes land high-scoring guard Lucy Olsen in transfer portal

Iowa women’s basketball made a huge splash in the transfer portal. The Hawkeyes have landed high-scoring guard Lucy Olsen.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are making moves early in the transfer portal! Just days after losing their top star Caitlin Clark, Iowa has already found the next woman up. It was announced on Wednesday evening that Villanova guard Lucy Olsen has committed to Iowa.

The commitment comes quickly after Olsen visited the Hawkeyes on Tuesday. Iowa was reportedly one of the top teams making a heavy push to pick up Olsen in the transfer portal and it didn’t take long to bring her into the program.

Just who exactly is Iowa getting in Olsen? She was the third-highest scorer in the nation last season. Olsen was given the tall task last year of filling the shoes of one of the best women’s basketball players in the country after Maddie Siegrist left for the WNBA. She performed quite valiantly averaging 23.3 points per game.

Villanova, unfortunately, suffered a bit of disappointing season, failing to reach the NCAA Tournament though making it to the WBIT Finals. Villanova has seen a bit of a mass exodus following the season, with six players including Olsen hitting the transfer portal.

For the Hawkeyes, it’s a huge addition and a great statement from Lisa Bluder. The squad easily could have just been content with the success they’ve had in recent years with Caitlin Clark and opted for a bit more of a rebuilding approach. Instead, they recognized that there is still a lot more talent left in Iowa City and that a few big pieces could help them get back to the big dance.

Adding a top transfer portal recruit in Olsen sure is a fantastic way to help Iowa compete next year.

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Caitlin Clark fans may have to wait more than half the season if they want to get her WNBA jersey

Fanatics said Caitlin Clark jerseys sold faster than any other athlete in company history.

The Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and will now have plenty of new fans.

It was not exactly a secret that Clark was headed to the Fever with the top selection. Not only did she get a very Indiana-specific NIL deal but local businesses and muralists started the push to bring her to the team long before she heard her name called on draft night.

Yet those who want to support the superstar by buying a jersey of her new team may have to wait a bit longer. While it is for sale via Fanatics, this is listed only as a pre-order.

In fairness, per Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Clark that fastest-selling jersey on draft night of any athlete in company history.

Per the website:

“This is a special event item. Orders containing this product will be shipped separately. This item will be shipped no later than Wednesday, August 14, 2024.”

For what it is worth, the Fever will have played at least 26 of their 40 games by the date of that shipping estimate.

Of course, while there is a ton of excitement about Clark, it is disappointing for fans who want a jersey sooner rather than later.

It is also frustrating that folks who want to support other players on the Fever, like WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, do not even have an opportunity to buy her jersey on Fanatics.

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Las Vegas Aces select Iowa star Kate Martin in 2024 WNBA draft

The Glue is headed to the WNBA.

The Glue is headed to the WNBA.

Iowa star guard Kate Martin was selected by the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft.

Martin averaged career highs in points (13.1) and rebounds (6.8) this past season as she operated as Caitlin Clark’s leading backcourt running mate en route to another Final Four and national championship game appearance.

The 6-foot graduate guard shot 50.7% from the field, 37.0% from 3-point range and 86.4% from the free throw line this past season with the Hawkeyes. Martin also averaged 2.3 assists per game.

“Man, a lot of emotions,” Martin said to ESPN’s Holly Rowe on the WNBA draft broadcast. “I’m really happy to be here. I was here to support Caitlin. But, you know, I was hoping to hear my name called and all I wanted was an opportunity and I got it. So I’m really excited.”

Martin hopes to showcase her versatility at the next level with the Aces.

“Yeah, I’m super excited for the opportunity. You know, I have a really good work ethic. But more than anything, I think I’m a very versatile player. I can score multiple levels and I can guard multiple positions, but I’m really excited to get there and I know I’m gonna give it all I got,” Martin said.

With Martin’s selection by the Las Vegas Aces, Iowa has now had five Hawkeyes selected into the WNBA since 2019. Martin joins Kathleen Doyle, Megan Gustafson, Monika Czinano, and, of course, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Caitlin Clark.

Nineteen Hawkeyes have been drafted or signed in the WNBA since the league originated in 1997. This marks the first time since 1998 that two Hawkeyes have been drafted in the same year.

Martin will join forces with Gustafson as fellow Hawkeyes on the Aces’ roster.

The Edwardsville, Ill., native just capped a historic chapter with the Hawkeyes. Individually, Martin is the only player in Iowa history to have amassed 900 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 400 or more assists, 120 or more steals, and 60 or more blocks in a career.

Martin joins Clark and Sam Logic as the third Hawkeye in school history to net 1,200-plus points, 700-plus rebounds, and 450-plus assists.

“I’m so proud of Kate because her dreams came true. She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step,” Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder said.

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Villanova transfer guard Lucy Olsen visiting Iowa women’s basketball on Tuesday

One of the top portal targets is visiting Iowa on Tuesday.

Iowa is taking a further step towards landing one of the top stars in the transfer portal. After reports last week that the Hawkeyes had interest in Villanova point guard Lucy Olsen, Edwin Arocho of Prep Girls Hoops reports that Iowa has an official visit scheduled with Olsen for Tuesday.

Olsen, a 5-foot-9 guard from Collegeville, Pa., entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. Hawkeye Insider’s Sean Bock reported Iowa’s interest in Olsen on Wednesday. This latest news supports Arocho’s prior report that Iowa was among the list of schools that have made the hardest push for Olsen out of the transfer portal.

According to Arocho, Iowa is joined by LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee, and West Virginia as programs that have recruited Olsen the hardest out of the transfer portal.

Olsen was the No. 3 scorer in women’s college basketball last season, averaging 23.3 points per game. The junior shot 43.8% from the field, 29.4% from 3-point range and 80.7% from the line. Olsen also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

For the Hawkeyes, Olsen is the exact type of player who can help them compete next season. Nobody should be expected to step in and just be Caitlin Clark, but Lucy Olsen is a fantastic player who can help lead the next generation of Hawkeyes.

While Iowa loses some pretty impactful players outside of Clark, there are some exciting prospects within the program. Olsen would be the best reliable star for Iowa to count on while some of their younger players continue to progress.

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Caitlin Clark Effect: Women’s national title outdraws men’s by over four million viewers

The Caitlin Clark Effect is alive and it is very real. The women’s national championship outdrew the men’s by over four million viewers.

The Caitlin Clark Effect has officially taken over basketball. The proof is in the pudding and the numbers back it up. Millions upon millions tuned in to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in the women’s national championship.

Despite falling short of the Gamecocks, Iowa’s superstar guard Caitlin Clark gave her very best effort lighting up the scoreboard with 18 points in the first quarter on her way to a 30-point performance in from of all of America to see.

She put her best foot forward one last time and did so in front of the largest women’s audience ever. The game drew 18.9 million viewers which is by far the most-watched women’s game of all-time. It is also slightly over four million viewers more than this year’s men’s national title drew with 14.8 million viewers.

The storylines surrounding the women’s game were must-see TV and the viewership turnout proves that. There were the Iowa Hawkeyes looking to capture the elusive national title in Caitlin Clark’s final collegiate game.

There also were the South Carolina Gamecocks, who entered the game 37-0, on the hunt for the almost unattainable perfect season, which they ultimately achieved.

Women’s basketball has entered an entirely new stratosphere and the ratings are there for networks. The talent, the storylines, and the product is only getting better each year and the sport will continue to climb to new heights.

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Iowa Hawkeyes snubbed from ESPN’s ‘Way-Too-Early’ Top 25 for 2024-25

After a second national championship in as many years, ESPN has snubbed Iowa from their 2024-25 Top 25 despite a talented roster remaining.

Another Big Ten Tournament championship, another deep NCAA Tournament run, and another national championship appearance had the 2023-24 season as one for the history books for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The extremely successful year for the Hawkeyes and has the trajectory of their program trending to a new stratosphere. Despite all of this, the Iowa Hawkeyes, who have had one of the best runs of any team in the nation the last few years, are snubbed from ESPN’s ‘Way-Too-Early’ Top 25 for 2024-25.

With the departure of Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Kate Martin, three multi-year starters, it is logical to think that the Hawkeyes may have some growing pains next year ushering in a largely new lineup.

Despite the new lineup, Iowa will return Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter, two starters that have proven they can play big minutes and contribute when called upon. These two will be the catalysts for the Hawkeyes next year and can take over games as they did this season.

Lisa Bluder is welcoming in very talented recruiting classes as well due to the Hawkeyes’ run of success. Iowa has four four-star recruits committed for the 2024 class in Ava Heiden, Aaliyah Guyton, Teagan Mellegni, and Taylor Stremlow. Right on their heels in the 2025 class which already consists of four-star recruit Journey Houston and five-star recruit Addison Deal.

Since Lisa Bluder took over at Iowa in 2000, the Hawkeyes have made the NCAA Tournament 18 times out of 24 years. She is able to recruit, develop, coach, and get everything out of her squads.

While the Hawkeyes are being snubbed right now, don’t be shocked if this team finds their way into the rankings during the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season as they reload rather than rebuild.

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Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin reflect on Iowa legacies

Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin leave larger than life Iowa and women’s basketball legacies.

The careers of Iowa stars Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin have come to a close.

After their national championship loss versus South Carolina, the next chapter for the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ legendary duo and for the program has arrived.

After playing in 139 games alongside one another, Clark and Martin guided Iowa to a regular season Big Ten championship, three Big Ten Tournament titles and a pair of Final Fours and national championship game appearances.

Clark’s school and national records are plentiful. Together, Clark and Martin turned Iowa and women’s basketball into a TV ratings success unlike ever before seen.

What do they feel their lasting legacies are?

“I don’t know if you can really describe and put it into words this legacy. Honestly, I just hope we’ve brought a lot of people joy and we’ve brought a lot of people together. I hear all the time about how many friends people have made in the stands just watching our games. We sold out every single home game this year at Carver.

“And everywhere we go, we have fans lining up wanting Caitlin’s autograph, our autograph. More than anything, our legacy is what we’ve brought to the state of Iowa, I think, and all the joy and the fun. It’s pretty cool to be coached by coach Bluder and the culture she’s built at Iowa. I think just watching us, you can see the joy that we have. I think that’s the main thing for our legacy,” Martin said.

Clark echoed those sentiments and shared some of what she’s proud of.

“I think this group has gone about it in the right way in every single thing that we’ve done in every phase of our life. I think that’s what you can be the most proud of. We truly have each other’s back. Maybe we weren’t always the most skilled. Maybe we weren’t always the tallest. Maybe we weren’t always the fastest, but we just believed. We knew we could be in these moments. We trusted one another. That took a couple of years to get to that point.

“There’s been so many great Iowa women’s basketball players to come before us and allow this program to be really, really good when Kate and I and everyone else stepped on campus. And I feel like we took it to a whole other level. I feel like our program is in good hands moving forward,” Clark said.

The two-time Naismith Trophy recipient assumes fans will remember the two Final Four trips, but she hopes fans remember how those moments made them and their families feel.

“I think more than anything people will probably remember our two Final Fours and things like that. But people aren’t going to remember every single win or every single loss. I think they’re just going to remember the moments that they shared at one of our games or watching on TV or how excited their young daughter or son got about watching women’s basketball. I think that’s pretty cool.

“Those are the things that mean the most to me when people come up to me, and, I don’t really get offended when people say I never watched women’s basketball before. I think, one, you’re a little late to the party, yes. But, two, that’s cool. We’re changing the game. We’re attracting more people to it. But at the same time, those little things are, I think, the moments that we’ll remember forever,” Clark said.

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Lisa Bluder celebrates Iowa’s warrior, Kate Martin

After her late-game heroics and toughness in the Hawkeyes’ win vs. UConn, Lisa Bluder and Iowa paid homage to its “warrior,” Kate Martin.

As The Glue typically does, graduate guard Kate Martin came up with several massive plays down the stretch of the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ Final Four win over UConn.

Martin scored six fourth-quarter points on a pair of fadeaway jumpers and a driving floater. The 6-foot guard’s first fadeaway jumper came with 6:25 remaining to put Iowa up by seven, 64-57, as Martin faded away from UConn guard Paige Bueckers.

Then, in the game’s final three minutes, Martin came up with back-to-back key buckets that gave the Hawkeyes a six-point lead on each offensive trip.

Martin netted another fadeaway jumper over UConn’s Bueckers as she drove to the block, pivoted and faded away, sinking the fallaway jumper to put Iowa in front, 68-62, with 2:57 remaining.

On Iowa’s ensuing possession, Martin took the basketball on a handoff from fifth-year guard Gabbie Marshall. She drove and spun past UConn defender Ashlynn Shade, floating home to put the Hawkeyes in front, 70-64, with 2:14 left to play.

All of this came after Martin’s nose was bloodied by UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards’ elbow on Edwards’ basket that tied the basketball game at 47 apiece with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter. Martin fell to the floor in a heap and spent a brief moment being attended to in Iowa’s locker room.

Of course, Martin returned and authored several of the game’s biggest plays for the Hawkeyes. Martin finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals against the Huskies.

Afterward, Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder tipped her cap to her captain’s toughness and magical playmaking.

“Kate Martin, what a warrior. That kid, she was not going to be denied in that fourth quarter. Some of those takes she had to the basket, turnarounds, strong jumpers.

“I don’t know what happened to her nose. But, we obviously all saw a lot of blood. That poor kid has broken her nose I think every single year she’s been at Iowa. But, she’s a warrior, she’s a leader, she’s the heart and soul of our team,” Bluder said.

Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark likewise applauded Martin’s resiliency and how the Edwardsville, Ill, native encapsulates what it means to be a Hawkeye.

“Well, poor Kate has gone quite a while without breaking her nose and having blood gush out of it. And then, in one of her last career games, she’s on the floor and she has hurt her nose again. I don’t know if it’s broken or not, but I think Kate’s just toughness, resiliency and leadership is the biggest thing. You see it, Kate’s a pro player. You see her game, she’s hitting fadeaway jump shots, she’s going at people.

“The way she took over at the end of the fourth, she came up with, I think, six straight points for us. I’m just so proud of her. She’s worked so hard over the course of this offseason. She knew she was going to be a focal point for us on offense, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s had a long career. All she’s ever dreamed of is being an Iowa Hawkeye, and she embodies that every single day,” Clark said.

With one more performance like what Martin authored against UConn, Iowa just might be cutting down the nets in Cleveland as the national champion.

Iowa will battle South Carolina for the national championship at 2 p.m. CT on ABC from inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

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