As the buzzer sounded in Carver-Hawkeye on Feb. 27, it didn’t just signal the end of the 61-56 Hawkeye women’s basketball victory over Illinois.

For three Hawkeyes, that final buzzer signaled the last time they would stand in front of the Iowa faithful in Carver-Hawkeye as members of the Iowa team.

Kali Peschel, Nicole Smith, and Claire Till were the centers of attention following the win over the Illini, with the trio taking turns addressing the remaining crowd. A large majority of the 4,610 in attendance for the game stayed in their seats for the ceremony.

The seniors’ memories and thoughts were heartfelt and genuine. But perhaps more important than their words were those spoken after the game by the teammates they’ve touched along the way.

“Those three seniors have meant so much to each of us,” sophomore guard Whitney Jennings said after the game. “They haven’t had the on-court contributions that some senior classes have had, but the impact they’ve made in the locker room on each of us is so important I can’t put it into words.”

The significant on-court contributions Jennings spoke of were certainly hard to come by for this most recent senior class, but that had nothing to do with talent or ability. Unfortunately, it mostly had to do with health.

Till had career-ending knee surgery on Feb. 22, following a season-long battle with what was described as “chronic knee pain.” The surgery was the same procedure that Till underwent to begin her Hawkeye career.

In 95 career appearances, Till averaged 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds.

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Smith endured an astounding six knee surgeries during her time as a Hawkeye, and head coach Lisa Bluder said she was never able to “get on a roll.” But her work behind the scenes will be remembered.

“Nicole has provided so much for us in practice, and those types of players are the real heroes,” Bluder said in a release. “They’re the ones that do all the work in practice and never get one bit of the glory.”

For junior guard Ally Disterhoft, the first three years of her Hawkeye career have been filled with lessons taught by Till, Smith, and Peschel. The Iowa City native could perhaps give them credit for her many accolades.

Disterhoft has earned All-Big Ten Freshman honors, All Big-Ten Tournament honors, and Academic All-Big Ten honors over the course of her time at Iowa.

After the win against Illinois, Disterhoft couldn’t shy away from the impact of the senior trio. And as the team prepares to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament beginning Thursday against Michigan, their impacts will need to be felt stronger than ever.