Caitlin Clark Had Heartfelt Message About Her Final Iowa Team After Loss to South Carolina

Karl Rasmussen | Apr 7, 2024

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark during the National Championship against South Carolina Gamecocks / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA

Caitlin Clark wrapped up her senior season with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, and she spoke fondly of the 2023–24 team that made a run to this year's national championship, which culminated in an 87–75 defeat to the South Carolian Gamecocks.

Set to depart for the WNBA draft, Clark bid farewell to her Iowa teammates, reminiscing on the team's historic campaign, which she admitted managed to top the team's memorable run to the title game last season, at least from her perspective.

"Yeah, it's certainly been a special year. After last year, I was kind of like, well, how do we top doing what we did last year? Somehow, someway, every single person in our locker room believed, and to be honest, this year was probably even more special than last year," said Clark.

"To be honest, this year was probably more special than last year... To be back in this position and come out here and battle, I mean, South Carolina's just so good. There's only so much you can do." - Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/EfobbjAmK7

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 7, 2024

"The teams we had to go through to get to this point. We won the Big Ten Tournament, we lost two players that were three-year starters for our program. And to be back in this position and come out and battle–I mean, South Carolina is so good. There's only so much you can do."

Clark did all she could, but it wasn't enough for the Hawkeyes to get past the Gamecocks, who completed a perfect 38–0 season with Sunday's victory. The 22-year-old dropped 30 points, five assists and eight rebounds in what was the final game of her legendary college basketball career.

Despite falling shy of a national championship victory for the second straight year, Clark made clear how much she valued this final season with her teammates.