Caitlin Clark reacts to Iowa assistant's witty remark to celebrate 5-year anniversary of Fever star's commitment
Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark on Tuesday found herself reminiscing the day she committed to the University of Iowa after one of her collegiate coaches reminded her of the occasion.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Iowa assistant coach Abby Emmert Stamp recalled the moment five years ago when the Hawkeyes secured the commitment of Clark, a five-star recruit from Dowling Catholic in Des Moines, writing:
"Just remembering how amazing my morning was five years ago to the day. And no, @CaitlinClark22, it wasn't because the egg I cracked for my breakfast had two yolks!!!"
Caitlin Clark quickly responded to the post:
"🤣🤣🤣🤣 solid day five years ago. Feels like yesterday tho."
During her stay at Iowa, Caitlin Clark established herself as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time. She broke several records, including the all-time scoring record in NCAA Division I history, men or women, with 3,951 points, eclipsing the previous record of 3,667 points long held by basketball legend "Pistol" Pete Maravich.
In her final two years with the Hawkeyes, she led the team to nationwide prominence by reaching the national championship game both times. Despite losing to LSU and South Carolina, Clark's star continued to rise.
She opted to forego her fifth and final year in Iowa and declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, where she was taken as the No. 1 pick by the Fever. Clark impressed in her rookie season, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists (league-high), 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while helping Indiana reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years and winning Rookie of the Year honors.
Her arrival has also been largely credited with helping the WNBA receive renewed interest from fans old and new.
Iowa begins post-Caitlin Clark basketball era
For the first time in five years, the Iowa women's basketball team began a season without do-it-all guard Caitlin Clark. Still, the Hawkeyes are optimistic about staying competitive.
Heading into the new season, coach Jan Jensen, who took over from the now-retired Lisa Bluder in May, said it was going to be a challenge filling up the void left by Clark, Kate Martin and the other players who helped the team reach back-to-back national championship games. However, she expressed confidence in continuing the program's success, telling media (via The Associated Press):
"I think everybody wants to be the New York Yankees, right? It was kind of fun to be that the last couple of years, the favorite with those mature teams and the longevity, with Caitlin and Kate, Gabbie (Marshall), in that starting lineup. But it's also fun to be the underdog. I think a lot of America cheers typically for the underdog."
The Hawkeyes have started their post-Caitlin Clark era with two straight wins, with senior guard Lucy Olsen leading the way.