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Iowa Fans Suspect Caitlin Clark's Jersey Retirement Banner is Ready to Be Unveiled

Keen-eyed Iowa fans seem convinced that the Hawkeyes already have Caitlin Clark's retirement banner hidden (poorly) in their home arena.

Grant Young

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates a 3 point basket by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall (24) during the NCAA Tournament championship basketball game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Sunday, April 7, 2024 in Cleveland.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates a 3 point basket by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall (24) during the NCAA Tournament championship basketball game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Sunday, April 7, 2024 in Cleveland. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wednesday was a massive night for the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team.

Not only did they play their first game of the 2024-25 season (which was a 91-73 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies), but it was also their first game in four seasons without current Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, the first game that Jan Jensen won as a head coach, and the Iowa 2023-24 team's trip to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament was honored with a banner hanging in the rafters before the game tipped off.

While Clark wasn't in the building for the Hawkeyes' win, her presence was surely felt in spirit throughout the evening in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

However, a few Iowa fans noticed something that appeared to be hanging from the rafters: Caitlin Clark's retirement jersey.

Iowa announced that Clark's jersey would be immortalized in her alma mater just three days after her final game at the school arrived.

“There will never be another 22,” the team wrote on social media, making Clark just the third player in Iowa women's basketball history to have her number retired (along with Megan Gustafson and Michelle Edwards).

While the retirement ceremony date hasn't been announced, Iowa appears to already have the banner hanging up, just waiting to be unfolded.

X user @ICHawkeye posted a photo of the wrapped banner with the caption, "Do you see what I see? #CarverHawkeyeArena".

They weren't the only fan to notice this, as X user @ouatdemii added another photo and wrote, "I REPEAT CCs jersey is up and so is the final four banner to be put down idk when 😂😂😂".

"Yep. Ready to drop the 22!!" one fan responded.

Given her school's preparedness, it seems to be only a matter of time before Clark's No. 22 jersey retirement ceremony takes place.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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