Iowa’s Lisa Bluder on Caitlin Clark: ‘When Caitlin’s light shines, it shines on all of us’

IOWA CITY — Caitlin Clark is part light source, part lightning rod.

With the glitz and the gaudy numbers come attention — both locally and nationally — and expectations.

“I know I’m held to a high level,” the Iowa sophomore point guard said. “Obviously, a lot of attention comes to me. I know the spotlight gets put on me.”

The spotlight will be on Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday, when 23rd-ranked Iowa (14-4 overall, 8-1 Big Ten) hosts No. 22 Ohio State (15-4, 7-3). Tipoff is 8 p.m. (BTN).

This isn’t new for Coach Lisa Bluder. Just three years ago, Megan Gustafson was the consensus national player of the year. And now, Clark is in the discussion to earn those same awards.

“They are two different animals,” Bluder said in discussing Gustafson and Clark. “Megan was the most amazing teammate. But she didn’t have the ball as much.

“Caitlin is noticed so much because she has the ball in her hands as a point guard.”

Clark’s game demands your attention. She is the national leader in scoring (25.5 points per game) and assists (8.1 per game). She has four triple-doubles this season and is a four-time Big Ten player of the week.

“Caitlin is bringing national attention to our team, and that’s a good thing,” Bluder said. “When Caitlin’s light shines, it shines on all of us.”

The tricky thing for a superstar is for that light to shine on her teammates, not blot them out.

“One of our values is that everyone matters,” Bluder said. “We try to live with that, every single day.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the leading scorer or the last off the bench. You’re an important member to our team.

“I don’t know where Caitlin would be without Monika (Czinano). That’s where a lot of Caitlin’s assists go. I don’t know where she would be without McKenna (Warnock). Or without Gabbie (Marshall’s) defense. And I think Caitlin understands that.”

She does.

“At the end of the day, I just want to win,” Clark said. “The spotlight gets put on me, but I want my teammates to succeed more than anything. That’s all that matters.”

The Hawkeyes have won seven straight games, including Friday’s overtime victory at Northwestern, in which they overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit.

“We’re feeling good about ourselves right now,” Bluder said. “It’s amazing what confidence will do. We’re more aggressive.”

Warnock, who hurt a hand in her career-high 25-point output Penn State last Tuesday, played just 21 minutes Friday.

She is in day-to-day evaluation.

Ohio State is coming off a 77-58 home loss to Michigan. Guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell pace the Buckeyes at 20.9 and 18.9 points per game, respectively.

Mikesell, a senior, played two seasons at Maryland and one at Oregon before landing at Ohio State.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com