At just 22 years old, Caitlin Clark has already amassed an impressive list of honors. The latest is Iowa’s decision to retire her No. 22 jersey on Feb. 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, as announced by the school on Wednesday.
“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 a statement via ESPN. “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.”
Before her stellar rookie season in the WNBA, Clark made history in the NCAA. As a senior last season, she broke the scoring record set by Washington’s Kelsey Plum to become the women’s NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader. She then surpassed Kansas AIAW star Lynette Woodard for the major college women’s record and LSU’s Pete Maravich, who holds the men’s Division I scoring record.
Clark also led Iowa to back-to-back national championship games and three Big Ten tournament titles. She was the consensus national player of the year as both a junior and senior. Her dynamic playstyle and signature long-distance 3-point shots earned her a devoted following.
Clark, drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever last spring, will attend the number retirement ceremony during the Hawkeyes’ game against Southern California. It will certainly be a special moment for the guard.
Clark’s list of accomplishments keeps growing
Clark earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016, breaking several records along the way, including most assists in a single season.
She was also named to the All-WNBA First Team, becoming the first rookie to achieve the honor since Candace Parker in 2008. Beyond the court, Clark has become a key figure in growing the WNBA’s fan base and contributed to breaking attendance records.
For her on- and off-court contributions, Clark was named TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, becoming the youngest recipient of the honor. She joins an elite group of past winners, including Lionel Messi, Simone Biles, and Aaron Judge.