Iowa City Celebrates Hawkeye Women's Hoops

Fans Flock to Pentacrest for Friday Night Rally

Bruce Teague, mayor of Iowa City, speaks during a ceremony honoring the University of Iowa women's basketball team on April 14, 2023 at the Pentacrest in Iowa City, Iowa. (Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA TODAY NETWORK)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - There wasn’t an official crowd estimate at the Pentacrest on Iowa’s campus Friday night for the celebration event for the women’s basketball team.

Caitlin Clark knew, though, she had received a wrong prediction from someone.

“Someone told me they were expecting a thousand people here today,” said Clark, the Hawkeyes’ point guard who was the consensus national player of the year. “I said, ‘You’re way wrong. You’re way wrong.’ And you guys didn’t disappoint. You made me right.”

It is easy to say that it wasn’t a thousand, but more like thousands, who showed up to celebrate the Hawkeyes, who reached the NCAA women’s tournament national championship game before losing to LSU two weeks ago.

And in a month in which coach Lisa Bluder has shed plenty of tears — “Some of them have been from sadness, but mostly of joy,” Bluder said — the sight of a packed house on the Pentacrest was more than enough to dampen the eyes of the long-time coach.

“It has been a historic year for our program, there is no doubt,” Bluder said.

Bluder went through the accomplishments — the sweeping of the in-state teams, the Big Ten Tournament championship, reaching the Final Four and knocking off No. 1 and defending national champion South Carolina in the semifinals — but it was more than the resumé that impressed the coach.

“It’s easy to be No. 1, and I’m proud of the way my women were No. 2,” said Bluder, bringing one of the loudest roars of applause on the night. “I think you can learn a lot about being No. 2 by the way this group acted, the way they represented this great university and this great state and the sport of women’s basketball after the championship game.”

The player that seemed to have the most fun was the ebullient Clark, who stood at the edge of the stage when the Hawkeyes first arrived and raised her hands to command the applause that was already washing through the evening air.

Clark led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to guard Sydney Affolter, whose birthday was Friday, and Bluder, whose birthday is Sunday. Then she tried to get her teammates to share some of their favorite memories of the season.

Kate Martin said her favorite was Clark’s game-winning shot to beat Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana. Gabbie Marshall, who is from Ohio, said her favorite was beating Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

The funniest story was shared by senior Monika Czinano, who told how her bag with her uniform was left in Iowa City when the Hawkeyes traveled to play Ohio State. The parents of freshman Hannah Stuelke brought the bag with them to Columbus, although Czinano told how she had to wear the workout clothes of a team manager during shootaround.

“Hannah’s parents got the bag there on time … and then she beat the No. 2 team in the country,” Clark interjected.

Bluder pointed out how her team had a grade point average of 3.56 last semester.

“They are role models, through and through, in every regard,” she said.

When the event, which lasted almost an hour, was winding down, Clark pointed out how season ticket sales for next season have already been halted.

“I know a ticket to next year is going to be really hard to come by,” she said. “So you better be ready. I think we’ve got the best show on hardwood, so get your tickets when you can.”

Then Clark had one more wish.

“And next year,” she said, “let’s be here and celebrate a national championship.”