Once again, Carver-Hawkeye Arena played host to a national championship game watch party. Once again, the people who couldn’t make it to the game could take it in on the big screen. Once again, the Hawkeyes came up short of the holy grail.
This time they were defeated by the team they had upset in the Final Four a year ago, the South Carolina Gamecocks, who completed a perfect season and won the program’s third title in seven years with the 87-75 triumph.
The energy in Carver was lively throughout, even in those moments when the Hawkeyes felt the pressure as the Gamecocks began to seize control. The ebbs and flows were something to take in, and even in the final seconds when the reality of back-to-back national title losses started to set in, the crowd at Carver largely remained.
They were jubilant at the sight of Molly Davis and Sharon Goodman coming in for the final 20 seconds, knowing it was their last game in a Hawkeye uniform. For Davis, it was particularly meaningful because this was her first appearance on the floor since she severely injured her leg in the final regular season game against Ohio State.
As for the other senior players, they gave it their all and have left an indelible mark on the program.
Of course there is Caitlin Clark, whose body of work in helping to elevate the game to extraordinary heights speaks for itself and was recognized by Dawn Staley during the presentation of the championship trophy. Staley said:
I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport and it just isn’t going to stop here, on a collegiate tour, but when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league as well. Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.
As Clark now enters the WNBA, her popularity will continue to surge and the people will still come to watch in anticipation of what she will do next. And it is worth mentioning that her endorsement deals will go along with her, so there is no “pay cut.”
Kate Martin, the glue of the team, set an example for tenaciousness and leadership. She goes to the ends of the earth for her team both on and off the court. It is qualities like that that will help her as she begins to pursue a career in coaching. Syd Affolter returns to carry Martin’s traits onward. Gabbie Marshall was a tremendous X-factor who also did whatever it took to help her team. Her sharp shooting, solid transition play, ability to move with and without the ball and to step up on defense were essential contributions.
The future for the Hawkeyes after this day is unknown, but with the return of Affolter, Hannah Stuelke, Taylor McCabe and Kylie Feuerbach, familiar names and faces will continue to sustain the program. It will also be helped by the recruits who flock to Iowa City, wanting to take part in what head coach Lisa Bluder has established and expand upon the exploits of Clark and company.
In the era of social media, the aura generated by the this epic era of Hawkeye women’s basketball is easy to save and savor. It is a sentiment that could be detected in the fans who left Carver, understandably dejected. They have memories upon memories to reflect on, along with more to come.