Despite phenom Juju Watkins and fourth-ranked USC coming to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Iowa women’s basketball team on Sunday, a bigger moment will draw fans and recruits as Caitlin Clark’s legacy is immortalized.
The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced the retirement of Clark’s iconic No. 22 jersey on Dec. 18 in a release, certain to be the main event of an evening that will otherwise see a big matchup with a national championship threat in the Trojans.
But the player from Des Moines will once again steal the show. Arguably the greatest collegiate athlete of all time, Clark revolutionized women’s basketball and the attention the nation pays to it. The retirement of her jersey solidifies that.
“Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,” said Beth Goetz, the Hawkeyes’ athletic director, in the release. “Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments.”
That’s as she broke former Washington Husky Kelsey Plum’s record for the all-time women’s NCAA Division I scoring record as well as former Kansas Jayhawk Lynette Woodard’s record for the all-around women’s college scoring record. She then beat former LSU Tiger Pete Maravich’s record for all-time career points in Division I history — men’s or women’s.
The two-time Wooden Award and Naismith Award winner and 2024 Time Athlete of the Year then translated her fast pace and three-point shooting to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. There, she had a historic rookie season this past year, winning Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and All-WNBA First Team nods.
But her roots remain in Iowa City — where she’ll return for one more celebration of all she’s accomplished.
“I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye, and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said in the release. “It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I’ve admired for so long.”
Only two other women’s hoopers’ jerseys are retired by the Hawkeyes, the last being Megan Gustafson’s No. 10 in 2020. That came 20 years after Michelle Edwards’ No. 30 in 1990.
In a release on behalf of Victory Live, a ticketing website, Eric Nemeth stated fans are paying an average of $420 a ticket to get into Sunday’s game and ceremony — up from $314 before the ceremony was announced.
“Caitlin Clark’s highly anticipated jersey retirement at Iowa this Sunday, combined with the interest to see USC and JuJu Watkins, has driven one of the highest ticket demands in program history, according to ticketing technology company Victory Live,” Nemeth wrote.
With two national runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, Clark and Co. solidified Iowa women’s basketball on the national stage. That success saw the likes of Sue Bird, Travis Scott, Jake from State Farm, and Theo Von at her games.
And now that she’s now in a box with Taylor Swift at Kansas City Chiefs games, her success has given head coach Jan Jensen some leverage in recruiting a successor.
Indeed, seven highly touted recruits will be in Iowa City for the game, most notably 2025 commit Addie Deal, who was just announced a McDonald’s All-American. The crafty five-star guard is No. 18 in the espnW 100 and confirmed with The Des Moines Register she’ll be in attendance. The player from California is the frontrunner to be the next face of Iowa women’s basketball when she hits the program next year.
Deal will join fellow 2025 guard commit Journey Houston, a four-star ranked No. 85 in the espnW 100 with a much shorter trip to town, as she plays for Davenport North High School in Davenport.
The class of 2026 will be biggest for Jensen, though, headlined by five-star point guard Kate Harpring. From Georgia, she’s ranked second in her class and is averaging 32 points per game. A scoring threat from multiple levels, Harpring would be a competitive get for the future of this team.
With her will be Addison Bjorn, a five star and wing ranked 11th-in the class of 2026 from Park Hill South High School in Missouri. They will join Jenica Lewis — a five-star guard ranked 15th and from Johnston in Des Moines. It’s needless to say this weekend has big recruiting implications for the Hawkeyes and their fans to make an impression on who’s next up.
Jensen will also reach her recruiting arms out to the class of 2027 and 2028 with Finley Chastain and Jhaliana Guy, respectively. Chastain is a four-star guard from Faith Family Academy in Georgia and is ranked 18th in her class. And Guy, a guard from Bettendorf, is also ranked in her class.
With so much buzz around Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Iowa fans will join Clark and the women’s basketball program itself in good impressions — drawing a couple of top prospects to aim to be the next Hawkeye to have her jersey beside Clark’s in the rafters.