Caitlin Clark stays true to roots, gives Iowa fans exactly what they want in homecoming

Indianapolis Star

05-05-2025

Caitlin Clark scored 16 points, including four trademark long 3s, in the Fever's 108-44 preseason win over Brazil at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Next up: Fever at Atlanta, 3 p.m., Saturday (preseason)
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark knew what her hometown fans wanted. And, nearing the end of her time on her alma mater's court, she didn't hesitate to give it to them.
Clark, who played in front of a sold-out crowd of at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, was going to check out of the game for the final time at the end of the third quarter. So, with backup point guard Sydney Colson waiting at the scorer's table, Clark grabbed the inbound, sprinted up the court and stopped right behind her No. 22 sticker memorialized on the floor.
The logo commemorates her long-range 3-pointer that broke the all-time scoring record.
She was about 36 feet away from the basket, but with the momentum she had running up the floor, she took a chance.
Swish.
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'I was like, 'Ah, why not? Might as well launch one.' And it went in.' Clark said with a laugh. '... You don't always realize how far back you are, so I had to give the fans a little something, I told you I was going to.'
The crowd of 15,000 — a sellout at Carver-Hawkeye — jumped to its feet. It was the loudest the fans got throughout Indiana's 108-44 win over the Brazil National team, which was a high bar to pass.
Clark's celebration seemed vintage, too; a celebration she started after big shots when she was in college on this very floor. She sidestepped down the court, yelling back to the crowd and pointing at ESPN announcer Ryan Ruocco on the sideline.
'I'm sure he had a good 'You bet' call,' Clark said, referring to Ruocco's famous line.
Clark took four of those logo 3-pointers throughout her homecoming game, raising the Carver crowd to its feet each time. It's her brand, part of what made her into such a global phenomenon started right on that floor. Heading into the season, it's something Fever coach Stephanie White has no problem with Clark doing.
'I've been watching her do it for four years, five years, really,' White said. 'So that's just who she is. It's what she does. I mean, nobody tells Steph Curry not to take good shots, right?'
It was a nostalgic day for Clark, who returned to play at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time after her jersey went up into the rafters in February. She had tons of friends and family in the stands, including her parents, brothers and former Iowa teammates.
'It's almost overwhelming to a point,' Clark said. 'And I'm just very, very thankful to be able to come back to a place that continues to support me, and see old friends that are having a great time getting to watch me do my thing, that don't play basketball anymore, that are just my friends, spending time with them, Even though it was just dinner last night, I just came back her and you kind of feel like you're in college again, in a way.'
This place holds a lot of memories for her; it's where she developed her game from her freshman season, where she etched her name into history and where she started to become a global icon.
She brought the Iowa women's basketball program to a new level; the Hawkeyes hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament in Iowa City three times in her four-year career and went to the national championship game twice.
That was her goal when she became a Hawkeye — to bring Iowa to the Final Four for the first time in program history. She accomplished that twice.
Now, she returned to Iowa as a professional, with loyal Hawkeye fans still cheering her on.
In true Hawkeye fashion, Clark wore her Nike Bruce Lee Kobes, which are Black and Gold, for her return. Those shoes are the ones she's worn in all of her biggest games, and she couldn't pass up the opportunity to lace them up again.
'I packed three pairs, and I didn't know which ones I was gonna go with,' Clark said. 'All had a little bit of yellow in them, but these are my Bruce Lee Kobe's that I have worn literally every big game of my career at Iowa. So I was like, I have to break them out.'
Following the game, in which she scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range), Clark spent a lot of time on the Hawkeye logo in the middle of the court. She took photos with her former coaches, teammates and family, commemorating what has become a precious moment in her early professional career.
With the rise of WNBA preseason games on college campuses, too, she hopes she can come back again.
'I hope there's more and more games like this, back on college campuses,' Clark said. 'I would love to come back here, I don't know if it'll be next year, but within the next few years. I think it just continues to grow the game, and that's the end goal.'