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Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball exploded onto the national scene last March when they went on an incredible run that saw them reach the national championship game.
It all really blew up for Clark and Iowa after the superstar guard dropped 41 and a John Cena “you can’t see me” on Hailey Van Lith and Louisville in a triple-double effort in the Elite Eight.
Clark then broke Twitter (now X) with a stunning upset of undefeated South Carolina and another 41 points to lead Iowa to the championship game against LSU.
Unfortunately for Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes their Cinderella story came to an end with a 102-85 loss to the Tigers.
With the women’s college basketball tournament starting this week, ESPN’s Wright Thompson spoke to Caitlin Clark and learned how she and her teammates dealt with coming so close to making history, but falling just one game short.
After the crushing loss in the title game, Clark took her teammates to a bar named Happiest Hour.
“I don’t think you should write about any of this, but I’m gonna tell you anyway,” Clark told Thompson with a smile.
When they reached the bar and Iowa fan offered to buy the Hawkeyes’ players a drink.
“Twenty-two shots!” she replied.
Soon a tray showed up. Twenty-two. That night might end up being Caitlin’s favorite memory from college. This group of women truly loved one another and for the rest of their lives when they looked at their Final Four rings, or came to some anniversary and saw the banner hanging in the rafters, it is that love they would remember. And evenings like the one in Dallas after they lost the biggest game of their lives but still had one another. She changed her mind about wanting people to know about that night.
“You can write about that. I don’t really care,” Clark said, adding that she an her teammates stayed out all night telling stories before flying back to Iowa, splitting up for the off-season.
This week, Clark and company begin their journey back to the title game – a journey that will be very well-earned should it end up in Cleveland with another shot at a national championship.