Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 to be retired by Iowa Hawkeyes, school announces

Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 will be retired by the Iowa Hawkeyes, the school announced 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.

“It’s super incredible, something I’m very thankful for,” Clark said. “There’s been a lot of good 22s who have come before me and played for this program, whether it was Kathleen Doyle or Sam Logic. That number holds a lot of weight, far beyond me. I’m really grateful, and it will be a special day when it happens.”

It has 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 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 the Hawkeyes played a big role in drawing eyeballs throughout the women’s tournament. According to ESPN PR, 18.7 million viewers tuned in for the 2024 title game between Iowa and South Carolina.

The Indiana Fever are expected to select Clark with the top pick in the WNBA Draft. Due to the attention Clark drew at Iowa, it was announced Wednesday that 36 of the Fever’s 40 games next season will be broadcast nationally, as networks are hoping the “Caitlin Clark Effect” will continue after her move to the professional ranks.