Iowa
Caitlin Clark became a legend at Iowa. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame almost changed history
Caitlin Clark avoids punishment after criticizing WNBA refs
USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan weighs in on why Caitlin Clark hasn’t faced discipline over comments about WNBA officiating.
Sports Seriously
Caitlin Clark became a national sensation at Iowa − but her rise to stardom nearly didn’t happen as a Hawkeye.
The current Indiana Fever star is an Iowa native and attended Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.
In her senior season in 2019, she was committed to playing at Notre Dame, which had just won a national championship in 2018. Clark’s desire to be part of the Fighting Irish is revealed in the upcoming book “On Her Game,” by USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan.
Then-coach Muffet McGraw was among the top women’s coaches in the country, and her strong team was appealing to Clark. McGraw first saw Clark play at an AAU tournament when she was a high school sophomore and remembered how great of a passer she was.
“Just how much she wanted to win, her competitive spirit. I just liked her right away,” McGraw said. “I remember talking to her, thinking, ‘I want to coach her.’ I just could relate to her. I thought we had a pretty good connection, which doesn’t always happen, because as I got older and kids got younger, I have nothing in common with them. But with her, it was different.
“I always came away from my conversations with her thinking, ‘Man, I really want her, I really want her to come here. I think she’d be great.’”
Clark’s ‘soft commitment’ raises questions
However, something was off. Even though Clark told McGraw she’d play for her, she didn’t publicly reveal it.
McGraw noticed the “soft commitment” and how Clark was in contact with Iowa coaches. The Notre Dame coach ran into one of the Iowa staffers at a funeral and asked why they were still talking to Clark, at which point the Hawkeye staff member revealed it was Clark who was calling them.
“That’s when I knew, yeah, okay, we’re done,” McGraw said.
Clark told McGraw in November 2019 she would not attend Notre Dame, the same month she announced her commitment to the Hawkeyes.
Clark’s decision was widely expected by college basketball coaches, as several knew she wanted to stay close to home. Even though McGraw and other coaches missed out on having the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, the two-time national championship winning coach believes Clark made the right call, adding her career could have been vastly different at a perennial women’s college basketball power such as Notre Dame or Connecticut.
“It would have been great to have her at Notre Dame, and our fan base would have loved her,” McGraw said. “But Iowa just made so much sense. She made a great decision, looking at how it turned out.”
Aside from scoring 3,951 points during her time at Iowa and becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark led Iowa to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2023 and 2024, making it all the way to the national championship game in both seasons.
(Reprinted from “On Her Game” by Christine Brennan, Simon and Schuster, 2025)
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
Iowa
Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate
Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.
Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.
“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”
Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.
Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.
Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.
Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.
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