Caitlin Clark jersey retirement: Iowa honors Fever star after shocking No. 4 USC at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark made a triumphant return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, as Iowa held a jersey retirement ceremony for her after stunning JuJu Watkins and No. 4 USC. To celebrate the momentous day, Clark donated $22,000 apiece to four local charitable organizations.
Clark donated to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Coralville Community Food Pantry, Boys and Girls Club of the Corridor and Special Olympics Iowa — East Central. Iowa coach Jan Jensen, an assistant under Bluder during Clark’s time with the Hawkeyes, made sure the sold-out crowd knew about Clark’s selfless act during her speech.
“She’s the same today as when she came in,” Jensen said. “She’s full of confidence, she’s full of grace and she has an unbelievable power to make everybody around her better.”
Clark was at West Des Moines Dowling High School when she started being recruited by the Hawkeyes. She caught the eyes of top programs like Notre Dame and Texas at the time, but ultimately wanted to stay in Iowa.
“Everybody knows I’m a family girl and that’s the main reason I came to Iowa,” Clark said during her speech. “To stay in a place that I love so much, just two hours from where I grew up.”
The decision couldn’t have paid off better for Clark or the Hawkeyes. The sharpshooting guard eventually won national Player of the Year twice, became the all-time Division I leading scorer with a total of 3,951 points, and led Iowa to consecutive national title game appearances in 2023 and ’24.
“There wasn’t many people when I first signed here, when I said I wanted to take this place to the Final Four, they kind of laughed at me,” Clark said. “Coach Bluder was literally the only person that agreed with me. Thank God, or else I probably wouldn’t be here. I’m just very lucky and fortunate.”
Clark has since made it a priority to give back to the community. On Jan. 22, the Caitlin Clark Foundation worked with Scholastic to donate 22,000 brand new children’s books to schools, children’s hospitals and non-profit organizations. That charitable effort was intended to celebrate Clark’s 23rd birthday.
While Clark no longer plays for the Hawkeyes, she will take the court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena soon as the Fever will play a preseason game against the Brazilian national team on May 4.
“We are playing a game right here, baby,” Clark told the cheering crowd. “We are coming to town.”
