CLEVELAND — Moments after her iconic Iowa career ended Sunday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Caitlin Clark said you don’t have to win a championship to be a champion, or to be a champion. He had an unwavering belief in his heart that he didn’t need to be a champion. remembered as one.
Confetti rained down on the opposing team again, this time South Carolina hoisted the trophy, and the empty walk from the floor to the losing locker room belonged to her and Iowa again.
It was another sad ending for Caitlin Clark, the 87-75 loser, and for all the young girls who littered the arena wearing their 22 jerseys. And not so young girls. And for all of Iowa.
Win or lose, it’s time to be grateful for the memories. Because when a proud Iowa girl faced the harsh reality that she would no longer have the memories to make with her dream team and dream school, there were more memories than tears. And the fan base.
“There’s a lot to be proud of, a lot to be proud of. …Yeah, it stinks, but life goes on,” Caitlin Clark said.
Some may call her the “GOAT” as the all-time leading scorer for women’s and men’s college basketball. Just as Larry Bird left Indiana State in 1979, she finished second at LSU last season and now at South Carolina, leaving without a valuable championship. Some people may be hesitant.
But her impact on women’s athletics will not be soon forgotten. She breathed oxygen into her sport and gained the attention of her television networks, viewers, and corporate sponsors. She couldn’t take her eyes off her. Because any moment can be a great moment…a great shot like the one from her hometown of West Des Moines, or a great pass that must have brought a smile to Magic Johnson’s face.
How many young girls have ever picked up a basketball and said to themselves, “I can be Caitlin Clark?!” Want to be Caitlin Clark?
“We’re changing the game. We’re attracting more people,” Clark said.
I admire how she embraced being an inspirational role model with grace and class every step of the way.
With 20.2 seconds left, Iowa State coach Lisa Bruder called for the players to leave the court for the last time wearing No. 22. At the same time, he asked Bruder to find time and do something for the players who will remember that moment forever. Senior guard Molly Davis got a spot in the national championship game after missing the entire tournament with a foot injury.
South Carolina fans were chanting “USC, USC, USC.”
Clark was greeted with hugs from his teammates and coaches on the bench. Within seconds, she was in line to shake hands with the winners.
South Carolina was too big, too deep, and too many teams for Caitlin Clark to overcome.
“Maybe we weren’t always the most skilled. Maybe we weren’t always the tallest. Maybe we weren’t always the fastest. , we just believed,” she said.
She rode the momentum, scoring 18 points in the first quarter and electrifying the Iowa crowd, finishing with 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting, but went just 3-of-7 in the second half. . It’s not a dreamlike ending. But it’s a dream career.
“I have no regrets in my heart about how things turned out,” she said. “Even if I don’t win the national championship, I can sleep every night…I don’t sit around and sulk about something that didn’t happen. My mom always told me to hold my head high and take care of myself. taught me to be proud of everything I’ve accomplished, and I think I’m still hungry for more.”
Next week, she will be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft and by the Indiana Fever, and she will make her WNBA teammates better just like she made her Hawkeyes teammates better.
“I’m proud of the way I live my life. Being in the spotlight all the time and getting everyone’s attention has definitely been difficult at times,” she said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Before the game, a young girl held a sign that read, “I’m not Swifty, I’m Clarky.”
“I would be happy if I could convey the joy of women’s basketball and the joy of women’s sports to everyone, and bring joy to many families, including young girls, young boys, older men, and older women. The guys really love our team,” Clark said. “I think it affects so many people, from young people to the elderly.”
She certainly was.
Thanks for the memories, Caitlin Clark.
