JuJu, Kiki and Caitlin: Carver returns to maximum energy Sunday

IOWA CITY — Come for JuJu and Kiki, and the Iowa Hawkeyes’ bid to trip them up.

Stay for Caitlin.

Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be at maximum energy Sunday afternoon, when Iowa hosts No. 4 USC in a Big Ten women’s basketball encounter.

Tipoff is 12:30 in a game televised by Fox.

In the minds of many, the game itself is the undercard. The “main event” — Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement (also televised by Fox) — comes afterward.

“Wherever Caitlin is, she brings energy,” Iowa senior Kylie Feuerbach said Friday. “She lights it up with energy and vocal communication.”

Sunday’s ceremony comes nearly 40 years to the day (it was Feb. 3, 1985) that 22,157 fans crammed into Carver.

If it was allowed, that many — tenfold, perhaps — would pack the arena for this.

“The trajectory of the great ones ... Michael Jordan, Kobe (Bryant), Serena (Williams) ... and Caitlin is a great one,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said. “And she’s been one of us.

“I’m forever blessed to get to be part of her ride.”

Clark was a two-time national player of the year by basically everyone who had a vote, setting the NCAA record for career points (3,951) and lifting Iowa to unprecedented heights. The Hawkeyes were national runners-up in 2023 and 2024.

“It’s really cool to celebrate her,” Sydney Affolter said. “She accomplished amazing things.”

But ...

“The game is the first priority.”

Ah, yes, the game.

USC (19-1, 9-0) — along with top-ranked city-rival UCLA — are in the early stages of a Big Ten takeover in their first season in the league.

The Trojans’ star power isn’t Hollywood, it’s the combination of JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.

A 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, Watkins was a finalist last year for many of the awards that Clark captured.

She set the all-time national record for scoring by a freshman with 920 points and was second (to Clark) in scoring at 27.1 points per game.

This year, Watkins is third nationally in scoring (24.6 ppg). One reason, she gets to the free-throw line, a lot. She leads the Big Ten is foul shots made (6.5 per game) and attempted (7.8).

“She’s an incredible player,” Affolter said. “I’ve seen her take some shots, and the defense couldn’t do anything about it.”

Watkins has more assistance this season, with the arrival of Iriafen. A transfer-portal gain from Stanford, the 6-3 forward adds 18.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

“They’re really good,” Jensen said of the Trojans. “We have different schemes we can try. Even on off nights, the great ones can impact a game so directly.

“Usually a scheme works for a while. To really get thwarted, it has to be the perfect storm.”

Iowa (14-7, 4-6) has followed a five-game losing streak with back-to-back victories, including an 85-80 home triumph over Northwestern in which Hannah Stuelke scored 26 points.

“Like Coach said, the shore was near,” Feuerbach said.

For one day, Carver will have the carnival-like atmosphere that it contained in 2023 and 2024.

“We tell ourselves that it’s just another Big Ten game, and we’ll be focused on that,” Affolter said. “There’s going to be a lot of outside noise. But it’s really cool.”

Jensen said, “The game is the game. We have to enjoy and embrace the opportunity of the game. We’ve kept it pretty matter-of-fact. When we get to (Sunday), we’ll see if everybody can stay in their lane.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com