Caitlin Clark says her focus isn’t the WNBA, but instead ‘to win a national title’

IOWA CITY — It’s been Decisions Week for the Iowa women’s basketball team, and the choices apparently led to crisp and carefree performances.

Caitlin Clark announced Thursday she was forgoing an allowed fifth season of basketball eligibility at Iowa and will enter April’s WNBA draft, surely to be taken with the first pick by the Indiana Fever.

Gabbie Marshall is a fifth-year senior who will be out of eligibility, but she recently has made plans to pursue a Master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of North Carolina.

Fourth-year junior center Sharon Goodman said Friday that she was passing on a fifth season of basketball to start training for a career in nursing.

Wednesday in Minneapolis with those choices made, the Hawkeyes were free birds in Williams Arena. Clark scored 15 points in the first 3:16, and finished with eight 3-pointers and 33 points in Iowa’s 108-60 blitz. Iowa made a Big Ten-record 22 3s in 39 tries.

Marshall, who scored 12-plus points three times in last year’s NCAA tournament, was in March mode. She sank four 3-pointers and had 16 points, her highest total since the season’s third game. It was her first game of more than six points since Jan. 31.

Now comes an opponent to make quite the villain in Sunday’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena send-off for five players, with sixth-year forward Kate Martin and fifth-year guard Molly Davis joining the aforementioned trio.

Enter No. 2 Ohio State (25-3, 16-1 Big Ten) as the foe for No. 6 Iowa (25-4, 14-3) in the regular-season finale for both. The noon clash is on Fox, with a 10 a.m. College GameDay lead-in on ESPN originating from Carver.

Senior Day ceremonies will salute reigning National Player of the Year Clark, Martin, Marshall, Goodman and Davis. But first, Iowa will compete against the team that erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat the Hawkeyes 100-92 in overtime in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 21.

“Recognizing those five seniors after the game will be special,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said Friday, “but we really need to focus on that after the game because we need full effort and focus on this Ohio State team that’s already clinched the Big Ten title.”

  Buy Photo

Clark went to Minnesota having made her choice to turn pro in April, then recorded her 17th triple-double.

“Especially over the last couple weeks, my decision has been more clear,” she said. “There’s pros and cons both ways. I think (it was) just being excited about starting something new and starting a new chapter.”

“You’re obviously disappointed because you want her back,” Bluder said. “But also, our job is to have them for four years and to support them as best we can and try to prepare them for the next chapter in their lives. Her four years are up even though she could come back for another year. She’s ready for another challenge.”

Or rather, another challenge after the ones that still remain as a Hawkeye.

“Obviously, my focus is here,” Clark said. “My goal is to win a national title, that’s plain and simple. That’s what I want to do.”

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com