Caitlin Clark admits she wanted to win a national championship at Iowa, but she does not see the missing title as something that defines her college career.
The Indiana Fever star reached the final game of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, only to fall short against LSU in 2023 and South Carolina in 2024.
For Clark, the memories that lasted were not only about the banners Iowa did not raise, but about the teammates who helped turn the Hawkeyes into one of the biggest stories in college basketball.
Caitlin Clark says Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Championship misses do not keep her awake
Speaking during the Talks at GS, Caitlin Clark explained why Iowa falling short of a national championship does not consume her years later.
“We didn’t win either of them, but people always try to say, ‘Aren’t you mad you never won a national?’ I mean, like, yes,” Clark said.
She added, “But that doesn’t keep me up at night because those are my best friends, and a lot of them don’t even play basketball anymore.”
The answer fits how Clark has often framed her Iowa legacy. She became the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader, pushed the Hawkeyes to consecutive title games and helped lift women’s college basketball into a new television and cultural space.
Iowa lost 102-85 to LSU in the 2023 national championship game, then fell 87-75 to unbeaten South Carolina in Clark’s final college game in 2024. Those losses still mattered, but Clark’s point was that they did not erase what the group built together.
Caitlin Clark credits Iowa Hawkeyes culture more than pure skill after title-game heartbreak
Clark’s view of those Iowa teams is rooted in the people around her, especially because several teammates had their final major basketball moments during those tournament runs.
Clark further stated, “Those times were really all they had. I think the culture that we had got us way further than any sort of skill we had.”
That culture showed in how Iowa kept returning to the biggest stage despite not having a roster built like the traditional national powers.
Clark carried the star power, but players such as Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Monika Czinano, Hannah Stuelke and McKenna Warnock helped make the Hawkeyes more than a one-player show.
The 2023 run included a Final Four win over undefeated South Carolina, while the 2024 run featured an Elite Eight win over LSU and a Final Four victory against UConn.
That is why Clark can acknowledge the disappointment without letting it become regret. Iowa did not finish with a national championship, but it still produced a team, a culture, and a legacy that changed the sport around it.
Read more:
