Iowa
Iowa women’s basketball to retire Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey vs. JuJu Watkins and USC
Watch Beth Goetz deliver news that Caitlin Clark’s #22 will be retired
The Iowa women’s basketball program held an end-of-season celebration at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday.
IOWA CITY — Anyone who has visited Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season has seen the banner rolled up in the rafters, waiting to be unveiled at the perfect time. No one can see what’s on it. But everyone attached to Iowa women’s basketball knows what’s on it.
It comes down Feb. 2.
Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 will be retired on, by no coincidence, 2-2-25, the university announced Wednesday. The ceremony will coincide with arguably the Hawkeyes’ biggest home game of the season, as JuJu Watkins and USC will be in the building to watch Clark’s legacy further cemented in Iowa women’s basketball lore.
“I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said in a school release. “It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I’ve admired for so long.”
It was announced in April at the team’s end-of-year celebration that Clark’s jersey would be retired in the near future, a fitting announcement as Iowa honored another team reaching the national title game. After proudly proclaiming she’d take Iowa to its first Final Four in three decades, Clark did that twice and then some with a bevy of unforgettable heroics and accolades.
Atop the list is her unmatched scoring prowess. In a 17-day span from Feb. 15 to March 3, Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s all-time women’s NCAA Division I scoring record, passed AIAW legend Lynette Woodard for the major college scoring record, then passed LSU’s Pete Maravich for most career points in Division I history.
Clark is a two-time recipient of the Wooden, Naismith, Wade, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Honda Cup and AAU Sullivan awards. The two-time consensus national player of the year led Iowa to back-to-back national championship games (2023-24) and three Big Ten Tournament titles (2022-24). Clark also won the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and Dawn Staley Award three times each.
Clark is the only player in NCAA Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to lead her conference in scoring and assists four consecutive seasons. In her senior year, Clark led the nation in 10 different offensive categories, and broke the women’s NCAA Tournament scoring record. She’s since been drafted No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever, won WNBA rookie of the year and was named TIME Magazines athlete of the year.
“Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,” Iowa AD Beth Goetz said in a statement. “Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball.
“Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments.”
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.