Caitlin Clark's No. 22 will be retired by the Iowa Hawkeyes, the school announced on Wednesday.
Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz broke the news during the end-of-season celebration with fans and the Hawkeyes women's basketball team in attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
"We always knew your jersey would be hanging in the rafters,“ Goetz said. ”It is a privilege for me to now make that official. You will be the last to wear No. 22.“
Clark will join Megan Gustafson and Michelle Edwards as the only retired numbers in program history.
There will never be another @CaitlinClark22 & there will never be another 2️⃣2️⃣.
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 10, 2024
The #Hawkeyes will retire Clark's No. 22. pic.twitter.com/bTyWRXwJir
"That number holds a lot of weight, far beyond my name," Clark said.. "I'm just really grateful it'll be a special day when it happens."
It's been a week of honors for Clark, the expected No. 1 overall pick in next week's WNBA Draft. She was named the Wooden Award National Player of the Year for the second straight season and was once again voted AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year.
Clark, 22, led the Hawkeyes to the national title game for a second consecutive season. She also finished her collegiate career as the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and owner of a number of program records, which put her into the G.O.A.T. conversation.
While Iowa fell short of the championship, Clark and Hawkeyes played a big role in drawing eyeballs during the women's tournament. According to ESPN PR, 18.9 million viewers tuned in for the 2024 title game between Iowa and South Carolina.
The Indiana Fever are expected to select her with the top pick in the WNBA Draft. Due to the attention Clark drew at Iowa, and it was announced Wednesday that 36 of the Fever's 40 games will be broadcast nationally as networks are hoping the "Caitlin Clark Effect" continues following her move to the professional ranks.
Sign Up
