Iowa women’s basketball super seniors make clutch plays and relish another Big Ten tournament championship

MINNEAPOLIS — Kate Martin spotted up in the corner, checked her feet and prepared for Caitlin Clark’s pass. Down five with 1:09 remaining in regulation Sunday at Target Center, Iowa needed a clutch shot.

Martin delivered.

“Kate couldn't believe it when she was so wide open on that 3,” Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder said. “She looked down to make sure she was behind the 3 and then pops that one for us.”

Iowa called timeout and Martin looked at the scoreboard on the way to the bench: Iowa 77, Nebraska 75?

“I was like, dang, was that worth like a million points?” Martin said.

Scoreboard error. Just three, but it kind of felt like a million.

The scoreboard was corrected, Iowa got a stop, Caitlin Clark drove for a tying layup, Iowa got another stop and the Hawkeyes kept the clutch plays coming in overtime during a 94-89 win for their third straight Big Ten tournament championship.

“That kind of fed into (Martin), honestly, going into overtime,” Clark said. “I think she had another two 3s ... Those are the moments you live for.”

The moments you come back for.

Both Martin and Gabbie Marshall had already won multiple Big Ten titles, had already been to the national title game. Both chose to use an extra year of eligibility for more days like this.

“Kate and Gabbie, God bless them, they come back for another year because they feel something special,” Bluder said.

Neither was an all-tournament pick like teammates Clark or Sydney Affolter. Neither was seated at the postgame press conference podium after big scoring outputs like Clark (34) or Hannah Stuelke (25).

Still, Iowa’s super seniors made their mark.

Martin totaled 13 points on four 3s, seven rebounds and four assists. Marshall, said Bluder, “needs to ice bath out there for two days straight” after her defensive effort, including the defensive play of the game.

Nebraska, playing its fourth game in four days, had nonetheless responded with big baskets time after time. But with Iowa up 91-87 and less than a minute to go, Marshall didn’t even let Logan Nissley’s 3-point attempt get in the air.

“That block, I mean I have chills just thinking about it,” Martin said. “I’m just really proud of her.”

Then the videoboard operators could have simply copied and pasted to avoid a typo: Iowa Hawkeyes, Big Ten women’s basketball tournament champions.

“It does not get old,” Martin said. “I could replay these moments over and over again.”

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com