Caitlin Clark's shadow looms large over an Iowa team in transition

The Iowa Hawkeyes are making their way through their first season since Caitlin Clark left the program. It's had its ups and downs, and head coach Jan Jensen is doing the best she can to keep the team moving in the right direction. But she's had her fair share of difficulties.

Jensen told Sports Illustrated, "I can't afford to compare what has happened in the past." That is easier said than done, considering the heights Clark led the program to in her four years there. Jensen also said that she was looking for players to help assume the leadership role that Clark left behind.

Caitlin Clark's final season at Iowa saw them clinch a number-one seed at the NCAA Tournament. It was their first since 1992, according to Sports Illustrated.

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Iowa was routinely the premier team in college basketball during the Clark era, battling with the likes of South Carolina and LSU for supremacy.

Clark was the number one star of the show at 2024 March Madness, having broken numerous records and led Iowa to a Big 10 three-peat.

The Hawkeyes put all their eggs in one basket last season, knowing that it would be Clark's final campaign in college.

Clark led her team to the championship game, where Iowa was ultimately defeated by South Carolina.

We're going to take a closer look at Clark's journey to get to the University of Iowa, and why she left such an impact on the program.

From the start, Clark was always a few steps ahead of her peers, playing against high school seniors as an eighth grader and becoming one of the top prospects in the country at Dowling Catholic High School.

As reported by the Biography website, Clark was a two-time Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year and had international success with the US U19's team, winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

ESPN ranked Clark as the fourth-best prospect in 2020, and after multiple Division One offers, Clark chose to join Iowa State over Notre Dame in November 2019.

Right from the jump, Clark dominated in college, starting all 30 games for Iowa, and leading the country in points scored (26.6 PPG), total assists, three-point shots, and total field goals. She was named Big 10 Freshman of the Year.

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According to the Biography website, in her sophomore year, Clark became the first woman to lead the NCAA Division One in points and assists (27 and 8) and joined six NBA players since 2000 to record back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles.

The NCAA Tournament has been something that has eluded Clark during her college career, suffering an embarrassing loss to Creighton in 2022 and losing to Connecticut in 2021.

As reported by ESPN, Clark had a historic NCAA Tournament in 2023, averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds in her first three tournament games and recording a 41-point triple-double in the Elite Eight game against Louisville, the most of any NCAA Tournament triple-double in history.

Ultimately, after a historic run, Clark and Iowa lost to Louisiana State University and Angel Reese in the final, falling to a 102-85 defeat.

In 2023, Clark won the AP Player of the Year, the Honda Sports Award, the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith College Player of the Year, the USBWA National Player of the Year, and the Wade Trophy.  She was the first unanimous National Player of the Year.

Clark surpassed Kelsey Plum as the women's NCAA Division One point holder on February 15^th, grabbing 49 points and 13 assists. She was directly involved in 79 of her team points, the most by any Division I women's player in at least 25 seasons, ESPN states.

Clark is now officially the NCAA record points scorer for men and women, ending 'Pistol' Pete Maravich's 54-year record on March 3, 2024.

As reported by Forbes, Clark broke Maravich's record of 3,667 points with a free throw in the first half of the game against number two-ranked Ohio State. She finished the game with 35 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.

Clark will have her jersey retired by Iowa on February 2, as fans and alumni celebrate her massive accomplishments.

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