She was the No. 4 recruit in the country and had an opportunity to take her talents to big-name programs like Notre Dame, Louisville, and Texas.

But Clark didn’t take the easy route, the one where she would have the best chance to become a national champion surrounded by a roster of other five-star athletes.

She joined a program that hadn’t made a Final Four in nearly 30 years. A program just a two-hour drive from her hometown that she was destined to put in the national conversation. Reflecting on her career, Clark said being an Iowa Hawkeye was “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”

“I really think that when she came in as a freshman and she said, ‘We’re going to the Final Four,’ a lot of people laughed at her and maybe even laughed at her for coming to Iowa, quite honestly,” Bluder recalled on Sunday about Clark’s commitment. “But she believed, and she got everybody else in that locker room to believe, and that’s not an easy thing to do.”

Clark concluded her time in college on Sunday with a defeat against South Carolina in the national championship, marking the Hawkeyes’ second consecutive appearance in the season’s ultimate game. Iowa’s record of 65 victories over Clark’s last two years stands as the most successful stretch in the program’s history.

Departing Iowa without a championship ring, her cherished moments as a Hawkeye transcend mere outcomes on the court. As long as Clark and her teammates managed to bring happiness to even one individual during their journey, she feels fulfilled. Beyond basketball, the 22-year-old expresses gratitude for numerous blessings in her life.

“I’m proud of the way I’ve carried myself,” Clark reflected on her career. “It’s certainly been hard at times, to always be in the spotlight and have everybody’s eyeballs on you. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. The positive and the negative. I’m so lucky. I’m so fortunate.”

When Clark says “everybody’s eyeballs” are on her, she isn’t exaggerating.

Iowa’s victory over UConn in the Final Four attracted an audience of over 14 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched basketball game ever aired on ESPN. Prior to the season’s commencement, a crowd of 55,000 spectators gathered at Kinnick Stadium to witness an exhibition match against DePaul. Carver-Hawkeye Arena consistently saw full attendance for every home game, while securing a seat to watch the Hawkeyes play on the road proved equally challenging.

Clark, boasting a social media following exceeding 1 million, maintains a visible presence on television even when not actively competing. She has been featured in advertisements for State Farm, Nike, and Gatorade, and her name has even been mentioned on Saturday Night Live, with notable athletes like Lebron James, Steph Curry, and Patrick Mahomes acknowledging her prowess on the court.

Reflecting on the evolution of support for women’s basketball, the star point guard shared her awe at the remarkable transformation since her early years in college. She reminisced about the days when drapes were used to conceal empty seats at Carver, noting that Iowa’s women’s team rarely appeared on cable television prior to Clark’s rise to prominence. Gabbie Marshall credited Clark with elevating Iowa’s visibility on the national stage.
Seriously, everybody’s eyeballs are on No. 22.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after winning the national title. “And it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour but when she is the number one pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well. So, Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you’re one of the GOATs (Greatest Of All Time) of our sport.”

Bluder said it’s hard to process not having Clark on her team anymore, a player she’s had to adjust her coaching style to and walk the line “between discipline and don’t put out the fire.” She thinks Clark’s legacy at Iowa will breed further success for the program and have a positive impact on recruiting, as the Hawkeyes have “opened up our geographic footprint.”

However, the head coach does have a specific concern for the program post-Clark.

“I pray that our team will still get the fan support even when Caitlin leaves,” Bluder said. “We’re going to have some growing pains next year. But I hope that people respect the way that we play, the way that we do things, and they’re going to want to support this young group of Hawkeyes next year, just as much as they have after the success we’ve had the last couple of years.”

Clark has about a week before she moves to a different state, likely still in the Midwest, and opens a new chapter in her career. She is projected to go to the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft on April 15.

“I know what’s next is soon,” Clark said. “But at the same time, I’m not blind to the fact that I need to enjoy this, I need to soak this in and enjoy these last few moments with my teammates because these are some of my best friends. They’ll be my best friends for the rest of my life, and that’s what matters to me the most.”