The Hawkeyes are headed to Minneapolis on Thursday as they prepare to defend their Big Ten Tournament crown once again. Iowa has won two straight Big Ten Tournaments and there’s no doubt that they have a massive target on their back.
IOWA CITY, Iowa– The Hawkeyes are headed to Minneapolis on Thursday as they prepare to defend their Big Ten Tournament crown once again. Iowa has won two straight Big Ten Tournaments and there’s no doubt that they have a massive target on their back.
For the first time ever, the Big Ten Tournament is sold out. The attention paid to this year’s Iowa team is unlike anything women’s basketball has ever seen. From social media interactions, highlight reels, intense debate to sold-out arenas in nearly every game. It’s been an exciting journey for the women.
On Sunday, Iowa got revenge on No. 2 Ohio State when they defeated them 93-83 on Senior Day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They weren’t playing for a regular season Big Ten Title, but there was still a lot to gain from a win. Heading into the final stretch of superstar Caitlin Clark’s college career– the team is buzzing with confidence.
“It’s on Senior Day, you always want to send your seniors out the right way, but also I think we had a lot of confidence. We went back and watched the Ohio State game this season from when we played them previously and we felt like we should have won that game,” Clark said. “We were up 12 in the fourth quarter and then we kind of just did it to ourselves. We missed free throws, we missed layups, we didn’t execute on defense.”
The Hawkeyes thoroughly dominated the Buckeyes on Sunday. It was a perfect storm of College Gameday, Senior Day and celebrities all around the arena. Lisa Bluder’s bunch is used to all of the attention by now, which is something that could help them as they enter the most important stretch of the season.
“I think you can say this is a statement, but I think more than anything, it’s just a good momentum for our team going into the Big Ten Tournament. You never want to go to the Big Ten Tournament on a loss. So I think building off this is really important. And coach (Lisa) Bluder always has us playing our best basketball during this time. So I’m just proud of our group.”
Last week, Clark informed the public that she’d be declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. She’ll likely be the No. 1 overall pick and go to the Indiana Fever. While national pundits are already putting expectations on her professional career, Clark isn’t worried about the next chapter until this one is completed.
“I’m so focused on helping this team win and be so great that it’s like hard for me to wrap my head around everything that’s going on,” Clark said. “I think I’m just trying to soak in the moment. A record is a record. I don’t want that to be the reason people remember me. I hope people remember me for the way I’ve played with a smile on my face, my competitive fire. Sure, they can remember the wins. But also, the fun me and my teammates had together.”
With all of the exposure that Iowa has received over the past couple of seasons, it has turned casual fans into Hawkeye fans. As each game continues on, there’s a widespread belief that Iowa will have the home court advantage in most, if not, all remaining games. If the Hawkeyes can find a way to win three games in three days– they are looking at a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program’s first.
“Hopefully we can turn it back into Carver North,” Bluder said.