Iowa
Iowa advances in Big Ten Tournament despite Caitlin Clark’s uncharacteristic slow start
MINNEAPOLIS — It won’t be long before Caitlin Clark’s collegiate career will be at stake every time she takes the court.
One off night could spell the death of a dream, her last chance to give Iowa its first national championship.
If the Hawkeyes are to return to the title game, even Clark needs help.
The Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals doubled as an unthinkable nightmare for Division I’s all-time leading scorer, as Clark missed her first 11 3-point attempts.
Still, No. 3 Iowa cruised to a 95-62 win over Penn State at the Target Center on Friday night despite Clark’s uncharacteristically cold shooting and third-lowest scoring output of the season (24 points).
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her miss 11 3s in a row, and that could probably include practice and everything else,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “It’s funny, Caitlin has an off night, and how many people would say you have an off night when you have 24 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists? … I’m just so glad that her teammates picked up the slack in that area. It just gives us so much more confidence moving forward.”
Clark’s frustration was palpable — she didn’t make her first field goal until midway through the second quarter and didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the fourth quarter — but also quickly pushed aside, allowing the nation’s leader in assists to facilitate with full-court, cross-court and behind-the-back darts.
Her teammates hit a combined 13 3-pointers, with four scoring in double figures.
Clark made 5 of 19 field goals (2-for-14 3-pointers) and 12 of 13 free throws.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get up there and shoot the next one, but honestly, maybe that’s my poison sometimes, I’m just going to launch it,” Clark said. “I was going to make one before the buzzer hit zero, even if it took 20 of them.
“This is one game. I take hundreds of thousands of shots. It doesn’t really matter. … We won by 30 points. I didn’t shoot the 3-ball that well, but I did so many other things that impacted my team.”
Hours after No. 4 Ohio State was stunned by Maryland, Iowa (27-4) never had reason to sweat.
Before Clark took her first shot, the Hawkeyes led 10-0.
She was the only Iowa starter without a field goal in the first quarter, which ended with Iowa up 18.
Clark remained confident, asking for the ball whenever a defender dropped an inch. She remained engaged, defensively and from the bench.
When she finally hit her first 3-pointer, on her 12th attempt, she laughed, jokingly asking for props from the black-and-gold crowd, who erupted with a standing ovation for the star who can do wrong, who amid her struggles still passed Stephen Curry for the NCAA single-season 3-point record (164).
“I was trolling and messing around when I made that,” Clark said. “You’ve got to have some fun. I thought our team had a lot of fun tonight.”
At her worst, the final result couldn’t have been much better.
The Jacksons are more than just Michael.
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’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.
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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