Iowa’s Caitlin Clark describes her emotions at ‘Crossover at Kinnick’
From shooting in the wind to the Kid Captain and waving to the Children’s Hospital, Caitlin Clark speaks after her triple-double at Kinnick Stadium.
IOWA CITY − The winds inside Kinnick Stadium on Sunday afternoon were strong enough to blow 3-pointers off course and even caused Caitlin Clark to air-ball a free throw. Spectators bundled up with coats and stocking caps.
Players shivered in pregame introductions, yet they did so with giddy smiles on their faces. Every once in a while, a blast of warmth from the sun would crack through the clouds overlooking Kinnick Stadium, providing a natural spotlight for this historic moment.
It was great. All great.
From the “Back in Black” entrance akin to Iowa football’s Saturday routine … to the emotional heartstrings from Kid Captain Krysty Bujakowska, a 12-year-old battling aggressive bone cancer waving back to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital … to Caitlin Clark being Caitlin Clark, with a triple-double for the fans, of course …
It was great. All great.
“It was kind of a throwback to my younger days when I was out in the driveway or at a park with my brothers,” Clark said afterward with a chuckle. “But it was fun, a once-in-a-lifetime event. … Our team was giddy coming down the tunnel.”
More: Caitlin Clark’s triple-double punctuates Crossover at Kinnick
Officially, there were 55,646 fans listed in attendance, an NCAA women’s basketball record, to witness Iowa’s 94-72 exhibition win against DePaul. And while the result doesn’t count toward the 2023-24 regular-season ledgers, the score must be mentioned because basketball was an important part of this day.
This was a celebration of the greatness that Iowa women’s basketball has achieved in our state and, heck, our country. The 50,000-plus here turned out to see this team, this superstar. No slight to the men’s basketball team, but only the Iowa women could draw a crowd like this.
“Well, Caitlin sells a lot of tickets. There’s no doubt about that, right?” said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, a longtime champion of women’s athletics who beamed throughout her postgame press conference. “But I also think it was they wanted to be a part of history. Hawk fans are special. You set a goal for Hawk fans, and they’ll come through for you.”
For the first time since Iowa’s captivating run to the NCAA championship game, a 102-85 loss against LSU 196 days earlier, fans were able to get their Hawkeye women’s fix. And even though the event stretched a full three hours, from pregame festivities to the final horn, booming “I-O-W-A!” chants circulated through the crowd well into the fourth quarter.
The “I-O-W-A!” was so invigorating, DePaul quietly went on a 15-0 run and made the game a little interesting until the final minutes, when Clark and Co. put this one away.
Kate Martin couldn’t believe “I-O-W-A!” chants at Kinnick Stadium
Sixth-year senior Kate Martin revisits the sights and sounds of the day at Kinnick Stadium, where 55,646 fans watched women’s basketball Sunday.
“It felt like an hour. It was insane,” Iowa sixth-year senior Kate Martin said of the chants. “I kept looking at everyone on the bench, and I was like, ‘Wait, have they stopped?’ … We’re just super-grateful for our fans and everyone who showed up.”
I talked pregame with interim Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz, who was grinning ear to ear that the weather was good enough to allow Kinnick to host this special offering. (Smiles and joy were everywhere Sunday, and the football team’s 15-6 win at Wisconsin the day before didn’t hurt.)
This was supposed to be an off weekend for so many university staff members, as she pointed out, but everyone pulled together because they, too, love Bluder’s program and team. This brainchild of Bluder’s came to beautiful fruition, and was something everyone here should be proud of. Bluder praised Goetz’s willingness to make this happen without hesitation.
“Nowhere in the country would this happen except at the University of Iowa!” Bluder proclaimed to the crowd after the game.
The fans roared when Clark rained in her first logo 3-pointer, midway through the second quarter. The magical Hawkeye senior is extremely media savvy and put some pressure on herself to deliver for the crowd. She knew this was not just another game. This was a big deal.
After she made the 3, she spread out her arms with a touch of showmanship that she’s become known for. Clark played hard and intense. She had 24 points by halftime and finished with 34 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 33 minutes. Of course she rose to the occasion. She always does. And the fans appreciated her every move, as they will when every game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is sold out this season.
“They’re not just coming here to be a part of a historic moment, they’re in the game,” Clark said. “They’re invested. They’re cheering, they’re loud. They know what’s going on. And that’s what only adds to the fun for all of us.”
Gabbie Marshall reacts after playing in Crossover at Kinnick
Hear from Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall after the Hawkeyes beat DePaul in the Crossover at Kinnick
Former Big Ten players of the year Megan Gustafson and Kathleen Doyle returned to savor the day, which saw the UI donate $250,000 to the Children’s Hospital via proceeds from the giant crowd.
This was about basketball. But it was also about more than basketball.
That is what will stick with Clark most about Sunday. She and others got a chance to meet Bujakowska, the Kid captain, well before the game. The university put out a tear-jerking video of her story.
Bigger than basketball.
“I mean, she just got re-diagnosed with cancer and nobody is happier in the world to be here than her,” Clark said. “That kid is living her life to the fullest, and she has something that is really bad in her life. And we’re lucky enough to play a sport. She would give anything to be able to do that again. She was a swimmer, a great swimmer. And she’s not able to do that right now.
“She gave me her little player card and it says, ‘Favorite Hawk: Caitlin Clark.’ I know I’ll take that and I’ll keep that forever. Those are the moments you kind of keep forever. That matters way more than I could have played today or how I’ll play the rest of the season.”
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has covered sports for 29 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter.
