Honoring Greatness: Iowa Retires Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 Jersey in Tribute to Her Historic Career

Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey will be retired by the Iowa Hawkeyes after her spectacular and record-breaking career.

The announcement came after the Hawkeyes’ Sunday national championship game loss to undefeated South Carolina, during the team’s welcome-home ceremony on Wednesday.

The statement from Iowa was made the day after the nation’s best women’s collegiate basketball player, and all-time leading scorer, took home the John R. Wooden Award for a second year in a row.

There is currently disagreement about whether or not she is the greatest player in the history of women’s basketball, despite her team winning many Big Ten regular-season and tournament crowns, back-to-back national title game trips, and more during her career.

[Related reading: Why Caitlin Clark is the most impactful but not the greatest player in women’s collegiate basketball]

In addition to shattering the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record for both men’s and women’s basketball, Clark’s 3,951 career points brought in a staggering amount of media attention, ticket sales, and viewership.

Her collegiate success and the unparalleled coverage of the sport are already expected to follow her into the WNBA, where the Indiana Fever are expected to select her with the first overall pick. On Wednesday, the league declared that 36 of the 40 games played by the Fever will be televised on national networks and digital services.

Even though Clark’s final year of college was heartbreaking due to her defeat in the NCAA championship game for the second consecutive year, her jersey will always be in the rafters as a tribute to her enormous influence on women’s basketball.