Iowa University's women's basketball team and head coach Jan Jensen are going through their first season without star Caitlin Clark since 2019. 

The Hawkeyes are off to a 12-4 start and are ranked 23rd in the nation, but they've struggled with conference play in the first year of the newly-expanded Big 10, going just 2-3. 

Jensen addressed the team's "lack of senior leadership" to reporters after a loss to Illinois on Thursday — with the Hawkeyes having lost back-to-back conference games for the first time since Clark's freshman season — citing the youth of the current roster.

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"I can't afford to compare what has happened in the past, because these guys are giving me a lot and they're still young, and I have to develop a little bit of senior leadership or upperclassman leadership, because that is what we're missing," Jensen said. 

In four seasons at Iowa, Clark broke the NCAA's all-time scoring record among both men's and women's players, leading the team to the NCAA championship game twice. She was also a consensus National Player of the Year as a junior and senior.

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Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick in last year's WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever after her Iowa career. 

As a WNBA rookie in 2024, Clark set records for the most points and 3-pointers by a rookie in league history, while also becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double, a feat she accomplished twice. Her 337 assists not only were the most by a rookie, they were the most by any player ever in a single season.

The Iowa women's basketball team announced it will have a ceremony to retire Clark's jersey on Feb. 2. 

Clark's No. 22, which she wears for the Fever, will hang from the rafters at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City after a ceremony honoring the program's most accomplished player. 

Clark is expected to be in attendance, and the event will be broadcast on FOX. 

Clark's jersey retirement will come just two months after Time magazine named her the publication's Athlete of the Year. The choice prompted praise, but also criticism from some, including Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson, who recently wondered in a CNN interview why Clark was tapped for the honor and not the entire WNBA. Johnson suggested it had to do with Clark's race. 

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It did not take long for colleges to start recruiting Caitlin Clark. 

Travis Kelce said he heard that Clark's first recruitment letter came in seventh grade, and Clark confirmed that during a recent appearance on "New Heights."

The Indiana Fever star said she feels very fortunate with how her parents handled the early recruitment letters from schools.

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"It’s honestly sad, like where college recruitment has kind of gone, it’s just insane. I feel very fortunate. My parents were just like, they told my older brother, ‘Go get the mail, like we don’t want your sister to see that.’ They wanted me to be in seventh grade and enjoy middle school and like hang out with your friends, like you shouldn’t be worrying about where you’re going to college," Clark said.

Clark said she did not think too much of it at the time, as she was just playing basketball and having fun. 

"Seventh grade was wild, and I was playing up two years, so I was playing with high schoolers, but yeah, I didn’t really like think anything of it. I was just going out there and hooping and having fun. It’s kind of just what came with it," Clark said.

The former Iowa star said her parents protected her from potentially burning out from playing too much basketball.

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"I played AAU, and then I played for my high school team, but my mom would be like, ‘She is not playing more than like three games or two games in one day, like that’s crazy,’ because sometimes they would want me to play for the seventh grade team and the eighth grade team. So, my parents were really good about that, like they didn’t want me to lose the love of it, like you don’t want to get burned out, you still want to be having fun when you’re doing it as a pro if you’re lucky enough," Clark said.

"And, maybe, as a kid, I was like, ‘Mom, no, like I can keep going, like I can keep playing,’ but looking back, I’m very fortunate for that, because I haven’t lost that fun of it and that passion for it and always wanting to get better and sometimes that’s why people get burned out. It is because they did it too much as a kid and their parents forced it on them or whoever forced it on them too much and that was never something I really had to deal with, so feel very fortunate."

Clark said she was in no rush to decide where she would go to college.

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"I didn’t really take any visits until after my freshman year of (high school), and then I didn’t decide until my senior year. So, I was never in a rush and my parents did a really good job of making sure I have a really good circle around me, like it wasn’t always about college recruitment. I wasn’t like posting my offers, like also that wasn’t really a thing when I was growing up," Clark said. 

Clark ended up choosing Iowa, saying she wanted to stay in the Midwest, and went on to have one of the most successful college careers of all time. 

She is the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader and was named the AP Player of the Year twice, among countless other accolades.

Iowa has already retired her No. 22 jersey number. 

Following her success at Iowa, she was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Fever.

Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year, was selected to the All-Star team, led the WNBA in assists, and helped lead the Fever to the playoffs in her rookie season. 

Clark was also named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024. 

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The Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team announced it will retire Caitlin Clark's jersey Feb. 2. 

Clark's No. 22, which she wears for the Indiana Fever, will hang from the rafters at Carver-Hawkeye Arena after a ceremony honoring the program's most accomplished player. 

Clark is expected to be in attendance, and the event will be broadcast on FOX. 

"I'm forever proud to be a Hawkeye, and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball," Clark said in the announcement. 

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"It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I've admired for so long."

In four seasons at Iowa, Clark broke the NCAA's all-time scoring record among both men's and women's players, leading the team to the NCAA championship game twice. She was also a consensus National Player of the Year as a junior and senior.

Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz and famed alumni Henry and Patricia Tippie praised Clark's contributions in a joint statement. 

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"Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination," the statement said. 

"Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball. Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments."

Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick in this year's WNBA Draft by the Fever after her Iowa career. 

As a WNBA rookie in 2024, Clark set records for the most points and 3-pointers by a rookie in league history, while also becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double, a feat she accomplished twice. Her 337 assists not only were the most by a rookie, they were the most by any player ever in a single season.

Clark's jersey retirement will come just two months after Time magazine named her the publication's Athlete of The Year. The decision prompted praise, but also criticism from some, including Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson, who recently wondered in a CNN interview why Clark was chosen for the honor and not the entire WNBA. Johnson suggested it had to do with Clark's race. 

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After often remaining silent about her name being used in cultural disputes, Caitlin Clark has spoken up.

The WNBA phenom was named Time's Athlete of the Year after putting women's basketball and women's sports on the map.

After she entered the league, there were several comments made about her being White.

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WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson said Clark being White was a "huge thing" when it came to Clark's popularity. Angel Reese even said there had been "a lot of racism" from Iowa and Indiana Fever fans. Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington, who poked Clark in the eye during a Connecticut playoff win over the Fever, previously criticized Clark for not doing more to call out racism.

In her discussion with Time, Clark seemed to agree with Wilson to an extent.

"I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege," Clark told Time. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. 

"The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing." 

WNBA STAR CAITLIN CLARK NAMED TIME ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AFTER HISTORIC SEASON: ‘JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE’

In June, Clark said she was unbothered by people using her name to push narratives.

"It's not something I can control. I don't put too much thought and time into thinking about things like that. To be honest, I don't see a lot of it," Clark said at the time.

"Like I've said, basketball's my job. Everything on the outside, I can't control that. So, I'm not going to spend time thinking about that. People can talk about what they want to talk about, create conversations about whatever it is, but I think, for myself, I'm just here to play basketball. I'm here to have fun. I'm here to help my team win. We've won three games, feel like we've been in a position to win a few more than that. My focus is on helping us do that. I don't pay much mind to all of that, to be honest."

Clark said in September racist fans are "trolls."

"Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, disrespectful or hurtful comments and threats," she said at the time.

Clark was named the league's Rookie of the Year and helped the league draw historic attendance and viewership.

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Caitlin Clark's throne at the top of college basketball history may soon be history itself. 

The 19-year-old JuJu Wakins, a sophomore at USC, is on pace to smash many of the career records Clark set at Iowa. Watkins has arguably one-upped Clark's collegiate start as the best in the sport's history so far. 

Clark holds the record for most career points scored in history, among both men and women players with 3,951. But Watkins is on pace to take that jewelry for herself, with 1,142 already in just 38 career games. Clark took 40 games to hit that mark. 

In mid-November, Watkins crossed the 1,000-point marker two games before Clark as well. Watkins has consistently maintained the edge in scoring pace since then. 

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With 376 total field goals, Watkins is on pace to finish with a larger total than Clark in that statistic as well. Watkins had a staggering 301 total field goals her freshman year, while Clark had just 266 as a freshman. 

This season, Watkins leads the NCAA with a .476 field goal percentage. If she holds that number throughout the end of the year, it will be a better field goal percentage than Clark ever had in a single season at Iowa. Granted, Watkins is only eight games into the season. 

The biggest difference between the two players is scoring approach. Clark is undeniably the better 3-point shooter, holding the NCAA's all-time 3-point record that Watkins is nowhere near on pace to touching. Watkins does most of her damage from within the arc, and is a better finisher in the paint. 

Watkins scored the vast majority of her 920 points her freshman year off of a nation-leading 553 2-point shots. The most 2-point shots Clark ever made in a single college season was 359 her sophomore year in 2021-22. 

Playing so strongly in the paint has also put Watkins at the foul line at a historic pace. Watkins leads the nation in free throws with 45 after leading it as a freshman with a staggering 241. The most Clark ever achieved in a season was 239, and that wasn't even until her junior year in 2022-23. 

INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK'S IMPACT ON MEN'S BASKETBALL

Another critical stat that Watkins has vastly outpaced Clark in so far is steals. Watkins leads the country with 22 through eight games after 78 as a freshman last year. The most Clark ever had in a season was 68, and that wasn't even until her historic senior year in 2023-24. 

However, Watkins will likely not come close to catching Clark in assist numbers. Clark led the nation in assists every year of her college career, starting with 214 in her freshman year in 2020-21, nearly double that of Watkins' 112 as a freshman . 

Unlike Clark, who grew up in suburban Iowa, Watkins was born and raised in Los Angeles. 

Watkins says her biggest sports "hero" is Lakers star LeBron James, according to her USC team page. James came to play for Watkins' hometown Lakers in the 2018 offseason, just two weeks before Watkins' 13th birthday. 

And like LeBron James, Watkins has represented the U.S. in international competition, having competed for the U.S. U16 and U17 national teams. Watkins won gold medals with USC at 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, and even had a signature 28-point performance in a gold medal game against Canada.

Clark was famously snubbed from the recent U.S. women's basketball team at the Paris Olympics this past summer. 

Watkins won't be eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2027. Her first season against Clark will likely be that year, when Clark is in the fourth year of her career. 

One year later, the Olympics will come to Watkins' hometown of Los Angeles. Whether Watkins will be selected for the first Olympics of her pro career may be a topic of contentious conversation four years from now. She would technically be one year ahead in her pro career than Clark was when Clark was denied an Olympic spot for Paris. 

It is very possible they could be teammates together in the 2028 LA Olympics. 

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The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers met on Friday in their annual rivalry game.

Shortly before kickoff, Iowa's team captains and Nebraska's team captains met at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. It's customary for players from opposing teams to greet one another and shake hands before referees explain which side of the coin represents heads and which side will serve as tails. 

But Nebraska's players decided not to engage in the handshaking ritual with their opponents. At least one of the four Cornhuskers' captains appeared to shake and look towards the ground as the Hawkeyes players approached.

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Tensions were already heightened before the coin toss moment after Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa's warmup area. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained how his team took exception to Rhule's pregame actions.

"Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup," Higgins told reporters after the game. "So we immediately knew what type of game this was."

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But emotions remained high even after the game kicked off. Higgins was seen getting close to Rhule when the Hawkeyes were on defense in the first quarter.

Higgins said he had told Rhule during the interaction that "it probably wasn't a good idea to not shake our hands." The Iowa defender offered a three-word response saying, "Who are you?"

Nebraska did manage to take an early 10-0, but the Hawkeyes scored 13 unanswered points. Iowa kicker Drew Stevens made a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds to secure the victory in the rivalry game.

Higgins did make a concerted effort to shake hands with Rhule moments after the game clock expired.

"After the game, because they didn't want to shake our hands before the game, I went up to their head coach and shook his hand," Higgins confirmed. "And told him, ‘Good game.’"

At one point during his postgame media session, Higgins asked his teammate, Nick Jackson, to point out the differences that exist within Iowa's program in comparison to Nebraska. 

"Kirk Ferentz — would he ever do something like that?" Higgins asked, to which Jackson quickly replied "no."

"Be a Hawk," Jackson said. "You see the difference."

Ferentz, who has coached at Iowa for more than a quarter-century, declined to offer a strong opinion on what transpired before the game.

"I heard some stuff in the locker room, but I wasn’t out there," Ferentz said. "So I didn’t see it and really can’t comment on it. There are certain pregame etiquette most people follow, but again, I didn’t see it."

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During her time at Iowa, it was not unusual for Caitlin Clark to voice her displeasure with officials during a given game. 

The WNBA Rookie of the Year returned to the state of Iowa to watch her former team take on Drake in Des Moines. Clark was a little farther away from referees on Sunday than she had been for the past few years when she was wearing a Hawkeyes uniform. 

But sitting in the stands instead of sitting on a players' bench did not seem to stop Clark from speaking out when she noticed a call she did not necessarily agree with.

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Clark was a few rows behind the courtside seats and at times appeared to have a look of dismay on her face when a call went against her former team.

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At one moment in particular, video posted to social media showed Clark shaking her head and yelling something at the game officials. She also raised her hands toward the sky out of apparent frustration.

The 86-73 win over Drake secured Iowa's fourth win of the season. The undefeated Hawkeyes are scheduled to take on Kansas on Nov. 20.

The Indiana Fever guard has had a busy offseason. Aside from basketball games, Clark has also been spotted at football games and even participated in a golf Pro-Am this month.

Clark helped end the Fever's playoff drought this past WNBA season. After parting ways with Christie Sides following Indiana's postseason run, Stephanie White was selected as the Fever's next head coach. White previously served as the head coach from 2015 to 2016.

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