The No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes will attempt to recapture lightning in a bottle by making another run to the NCAA championship game but, win or lose, a significant chapter in the program’s 50-year history will end.

Seniors Molly Davis, Sharon Goodman, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, and Caitlin Clark will each make their final tournament run suiting up for the Hawkeyes. They will move on from the team after the season, some reaching the end of their NCAA eligibility while others choose to leave to pursue other ventures.

The latter three have 383 combined starts for the Hawkeyes and 12,068 combined minutes on the court since 2020-21, helping Iowa amass a 100-29 record in the process.

“You can’t help but get a little sentimental anytime you have a senior class graduate, but this senior class has been successful and pretty enjoyable to coach,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said at a March 1 media availability. “I understand that people are ready for the next chapter of their lives after four years of college.”

All five players were recognized following Iowa’s 93-83 win over No. 4 Ohio State during senior day on March 3, the last regular season game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Each of the five players took vastly different paths to get to the point they are now: approaching the finishing lines of their collegiate careers.

Reigning Naismith College Player of the Year, Caitlin Clark announced prior to senior day that she will enter the WNBA Draft this year and forgo her fifth and final year of eligibility.

“What we’ve been able to do is so special and, obviously, that’s not over, but I think I’m ready for the next chapter of my life,” Clark said.

She said she wanted to make the decision sooner rather than later to to relieve that pressure so she could enjoy her remaining time with her teammates.

“I didn’t want senior day to be all about me or if I’m coming back,” Clark said. “Gabbie, Kate, Molly, and Sharon have given so much to the program. They deserve to be celebrated as much as me.”

She is expected to be the No. 1 overall draft pick, which the Indiana Fever holds. The draft is on April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s all-time scoring record on Feb. 15 and surpassed Lynette Woodard for the most points scored in major women’s college basketball history on Feb. 28. In the first half against the Buckeyes March 3, she passed Pete Maravich for the NCAA all-time scoring record.

The only accolade eluding Clark is a coveted National Championship ring, and she says helping Iowa continue to win games is her top priority.

Goodman announced she would not return to Iowa next season.

“It was not an easy decision by any means,” Goodman said with tears in her eyes. “In the end, it was a decision that I had to make for myself, and I am a little bit proud of myself for being able to process and make that decision.”

The center entered college at a low point in her life, losing her mother to cancer just months before joining the team. After appearing in all 30 games as a first-year, she tore her ACL in practice before her second season and missed the entire year.

She played in just 13 games the following year. This season, she has appeared in 26 games — starting eight — and averages 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

“I had a very big life event happen right before I came here, and to sort of think of my growth [over] the past four years, it’s humbling,” Goodman said. “I’m thankful for all the people that have been around me.”

Though Molly Davis has only been with Iowa for two seasons, she has made quite the impression in her short time in Iowa City.

Davis has started nearly every game for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 assists per contest. Hailing from Midland, Michigan, Davis is known for her scrappy style of play despite being a shorter player at 5-foot-7.

“She looks like this quiet, nice person, but to me, she has a sneaky moxie about her,” Bluder said of Davis earlier in the season. “She has no fear.”

Davis transferred from Central Michigan following the 2021-22 season. In three years at Central Michigan, Davis made her mark on the program’s history by ranking seventh and 11th in career assists and points with 356 and 1,434, respectively.

“For Molly to come here and not be guaranteed anything — no starting position, no amount of playing time — [just] come here, accept her role, and do whatever it took for us to be better, that took a lot of courage,” Bluder said.

Super seniors

Martin and Marshall are the tandem of super seniors who have been able to elude moving on from the women’s team due to redshirt seasons and COVID-19 granting extra years of eligibility.

Martin joined the program in summer 2018 and redshirted her first year after tearing her ACL and meniscus a number of days before arriving at the UI. Marshall joined her a year later, and both have witnessed firsthand the popularity of the Iowa women’s team — and the sport in general — explode.

Martin and Marshall each played a big role in Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run last season, including Martin scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds in a Sweet 16 win against No. 6 Colorado, and Marshall scoring 14 points and collecting four steals in the Elite Eight versus No. 5 Louisville.

Both were not 100 percent sure they would return to Iowa for the 2023-24 season, with Martin more on the fence than Marshall. However, Clark was able to convince her to return.

“It’s been a really fun year, and I’m glad Caitlin kind of forced me to come back,” Martin joked. “Why would I ever want to give this up?”

Both said they are happy with their decision to return as the Iowa women’s team has had a historic season thus far, breaking the attendance record for a women’s basketball game at Kinnick Stadium, selling out arenas in almost every one of the Hawkeyes’ road games.

“I feel like I’ve had more fun playing this year than I ever have in my life,” Martin said. “It’s just been very free.”