The 2022-23 Hawkeyes were entertaining, wildly successful and adored

DALLAS — It took until the 100th game of her career for Caitlin Clark to be moved to tears in a public postgame setting.

“I don't think it’s going to set in for me for quite some time,” Clark said after Iowa’s 102-85 loss to LSU in the NCAA women’s basketball final Sunday at American Airlines Center.

“The young kids and the people in the state of Iowa, I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy.”

Oh, Caitlin. You have no idea.

Here’s all the evidence you need: Iowa drew more than 11,000 fans per game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There were thousands at Carver on Sunday for a watch party, thousands more on site here.

Clark, and the Hawkeyes, had their hands on the hearts of a state. From border to border, they were The Beatles, in Nikes.

They were entertaining, and they were adored.

“Once I’m done with this, I can reflect,” said Monika Czinano, who came back to Iowa for a fifth year in hopes of doing something memorable, and delivered.

“This program, people nationally are talking about it. I’m excited to get back to Iowa City and be with my people.”

When they get back to Iowa City, they deserve a massive salute.

The Hawkeyes won more games (they finished 31-7) and advanced further in the postseason than they ever have before.

A program that has generally ranged from “good” to “very good” for the better part of 40 years took a giant leap this season, into the rare air of the elite.

It happened at a perfect time, when the women’s basketball game appears on the verge of explosion in nationwide popularity.

“It’s like a drug,” Czinano said. “People get addicted to it. It’s so much fun to watch.”

No team was a more fun view than the Hawkeyes, who scored 87.3 points per game. Clark, of course, was the ringleader.

“I think once people really turn on the TV or come and sit in the seat, they see how good the product is and how fun the game is,” Clark said. “Our team plays basketball the right way.

“I think that's the biggest thing is just when people come and watch and understand the game, they see how fun and how great the product is, and they keep coming back for more.”

The Hawkeyes were shaky at the start of the season, losing three of their first eight games. But they won 26 of their last 30.

They whipped Ohio State on the road when the Buckeyes were undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country. Clark’s 3-pointer at the buzzer topped Indiana on Feb. 26 when the Hoosiers were No. 2.

They ran through the Big Ten tournament for the second straight year.

They earned a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament, then pounded Southeastern Louisiana and held off Georgia in the first two rounds in Iowa City and handled Colorado and Louisville in Seattle to reach the Final Four for the first time in 30 years.

In Dallas, they shocked No. 1 South Carolina in the semifinals, snapping the Gamecocks’ 42-game winning streak.

The ride ended Sunday against an LSU outfit whose 11-for-17 shooting display from 3-point range was out of character.

“That’s how it goes,” Kate Martin said. “Some of their bench players were hot.

“We tried our best, but their offensive game plan, whatever it was ... they executed it well.”

Martin was asked, did the officiating play a role in the outcome?

“No.”

Close the book on the accomplished careers of Czinano and McKenna Warnock.

“I can’t imagine the locker room next year without them,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

Czinano came to Iowa as a raw post, but willing to play a physical game and overhaul her shot. Mentored by assistant coach Jan Jensen and former All-American Megan Gustafson, Czinano was the NCAA leader in field-goal percentage in 2021 and 2022 and finished her career with 2,413 points, third-most in school history.

“Monika would tell you when she first got here, she never dreamed to be as good as she is, and I still don't think she realizes how good she is,” Clark said.

Warnock was a great third option throughout her career, finishing with 1,277 points. She could have come back for a fifth season, but opted to begin life in dental school.

“I knew this was my last game either way,” she said. “It’s never easy. We showed a lot of fight today, getting (the deficit) from 21 points to seven. But some stuff didn’t fall out way, and they knocked down some tough shots.”

There’s plenty to like about the prospects of the 2023-24 Hawkeyes, who return 68.6 percent of their scoring from this season.

In Clark, Iowa has the best, most dynamic player in the country.

The consensus national player of the year, Clark averaged 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. With 2,717 career points, Clark is ahead of pace to eclipse the national record of Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 next year.

Three-year starters Kate Martin (7.7 ppg) and Gabbie Marshall (6.2 ppg) both have committed to return for a fifth year in 2023-24. Martin is a steadying, mature influence, and Marshall’s outside shooting made a 180-degree turn (for the better) midseason.

Cedar Rapids native Hannah Stuelke made a splash in her rookie campaign, averaging 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while logging a modest 13 minutes per contest.

Stuelke’s role will increase dramatically next year. But what will it be? Strong forward, where her rare athleticism can take flight? Or as a back-to-the-basket post?

Assuming it’s as the former, that means one (or more) of the current bigs — probably Addison O’Grady, or perhaps A.J. Ediger or Sharon Goodman — must take on Jensen’s tutelage and make similar strides that Czinano did.

Like Martin and Marshall, Molly Davis — who transferred to Iowa from Central Michigan last summer — returns for a fifth year and gives Bluder a solid backcourt backup.

Sydney Affolter earned a spot in the rotation as a small forward. Kylie Feuerbach will be back after missing this season with a torn ACL.

With 15 scholarships, Iowa can’t dip into the transfer portal, unless somebody else transfers out.

Kennise Johnson-Etienne and Ava Jones enter the program as freshmen, though Jones is unlikely to play next year while she continues to rehab from injuries suffered from last year’s near-fatal incident in Louisville.

Before the confetti in Dallas was swept up, ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme came out with his “way-too-early” preseason rankings for 2023-24, installing Iowa at No. 4, which sounds about right.

Make no mistake, the Hawkeyes will be wildly entertaining again.

“I’m not really worried about what's next, not right now,” Clark said. “I’m just going to enjoy what we did. I’m just thankful that I got to be on this journey with these people.

“This is our goal every single year. We’re not just going to be satisfied with making it here one time, but at the same time, I’m not worried about what's next right now.

“It’s been a really long, really fun season with this group. I just need to take some time to reflect and appreciate all that's come with it.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com