Iowa women’s basketball 2022-23: A game-by-game look at a special season

It started with a 108-29 win over Nebraska-Kearney at the end of October.

It will end this weekend at the Final Four in Dallas.

What a ride for the Iowa women’s basketball team. What a ride for its die-hard fans. What a ride for those who jumped on the Caitlin Clark-led bandwagon as the season progressed.

Thirty wins, a 15-3 record in the Big Ten Conference, a 17-1 mark inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and a second straight Big Ten tournament title.

What a ride indeed.

Here’s a quick look at this memorable and special season:

Iowa 108, Nebraska-Kearney 29 (exhibition, Oct. 28) — Clark and Monika Czinano combined for 34 points. Freshman Hannah Stuelke made her debut, hitting 8 of 10 shots and matching Clark with a team-high 18 points.

Iowa 87, Southern 34 (Nov. 7) — Clark finished with a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes in the season opener.

Iowa 115, Evansville 62 (Nov. 10) — Clark notched her first double-double of the season, and 27th of her career, with 26 points and 12 assists. Czinano scored 23 points.

Iowa 92, Drake 86 (Nov. 13) — Czinano collected the seventh double-double of her career, scoring a season-high 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in this overtime win in Des Moines.

Kansas State 84, Iowa 83 (Nov. 17) — Another road trip, another tough opponent and the first loss of the season. Clark scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds for another double-double.

Iowa 73, Belmont 62 (Nov. 20) — Clark scored 33 points, the 24th 30-point performance in her career as the Hawkeye bounced back.

Iowa 73, Oregon State 59 (Nov. 25) — Clark nearly had her first triple-double of the year, scoring 28 points with nine rebounds and eight assists as the Hawkeyes won at the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland, Ore.

Connecticut 86, Iowa 79 (Nov. 27) — Kate Martin scored a career-high 20 points, hitting 7 of 10 shots from the field and all six of her 3-pointers. Clark finished with a game-high 25 points.

North Carolina State 94, Iowa 81 (Dec. 1) — Despite a season-high 45 points from Clark, the Hawks lost this ACC/Big Ten Challenge game at home. It was Clark’s fifth career game with more than 40 points. She also set a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record for points in a game.

Iowa 102, Wisconsin 71 (Dec. 4) — Triple double time for Clark on the road in the Big Ten opener. She notched the seventh of her career, scoring 22 points, with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. That’s a Big Ten record, by the way.

Iowa 70, Iowa State 57 (Dec. 7) — In a highly anticipated showdown with an instate and ranked rival, Clark nearly did it again, scoring 19 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Czinano had her eighth double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Iowa 87, Minnesota 64 (Dec. 10) — In their Big Ten home opener, Coach Lisa Bluder recorded her 234th Big Ten win, the most regular-season wins in conference history. Clark (32 points and 10 rebounds) and McKenna Warnock (12 points, 10 rebounds) both had double-doubles. Clark was one assist short of another triple-double.

Iowa 88, Northern Iowa 74 (Dec. 18) — Iowa completed a state sweep as Clark scored 26 points and Czinano finished with 22.

Iowa 92, Dartmouth 54 (Dec. 21) — Another home win, another double-double for Clark, who posted 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She went over the 2,000 points mark, matching the fastest to do that in NCAA history.

Iowa 83, Purdue 68 (Dec. 29) — Czinano went over 2,000 career points with 12 on this day. Clark scored 24.

Illinois 90, Iowa 86 (Jan. 1) — The new year started with a thud in Champaign, Ill. Clark finished with 32 points, Czinano had 24 and Warnock 17. But this loss may have cost Iowa a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Iowa 94, Michigan 85 (Jan. 7) — In the first Big Ten women’s basketball game televised on Fox, the Hawks came up big against the No. 14 Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich. Clark had 28 points, Czinano had 19 and Warnock 14 points.

Iowa 93, Northwestern 64 (Jan. 11) — Clark collected her 32nd career double-double with 20 points and 14 assists, just missing a triple-double again with nine rebounds. She moved into second in Iowa history with 2,117 career points.

Iowa 108, Penn State 67 (Jan. 14) — Five Hawks scored in double figures, led by (big surprise) Clark with 27 (and 10 assists). Warnock added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Czinano finished with 20 points, Sydney Affolter added 12 points and Stuelke had 11.

Iowa 84, Michigan State 81 (Jan. 18) — Back in the Top 10, Clark had another double-double (26 points, 11 assists) and Czinano broke a school record, going 11 of 11 from the field for 22 points as as the Hawks won in OT.

Iowa 83, Ohio State 72 (Jan. 23) — Clark and Czinano combined for 50 points and Clark collected her eighth career triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists, as Iowa handed the host and No. 2 Buckeyes their first loss of the season. Martin had 13 points and 11 rebounds, her first double-double of the season.

Iowa 80, Nebraska 76 (Jan. 28) — Clark registered her 36th double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds. Czinano finished with 17 points and Stuelke scored 12 points.

Iowa 96, Maryland 82 (Feb. 2) — Clark scored 42 points, hitting 13 of her 19 field goals, and Czinano had 28 points as Iowa won its seventh straight. Stuelke finished with 13 points.

Iowa 95, Penn State 51 (Feb. 5) — Another triple-double for Clark, the ninth of her career. She finished with 23 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.

Indiana 87, Iowa 78 (Feb. 9) — Clark and Warnock notched double-doubles, but Iowa saw its eight-game win streak come to an end at No. 2 Indiana. Clark had a game-high 35 points and 10 assists and Warnock finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Iowa 111, Rutgers 57 (Feb. 12) — The Hawks broke the school record for most points against a Big Ten foe as Molly Davis had a season-high 17 points to lead the team. Clark finished 15 points and 10 assists, her 13th double-double of the season. She played just 20 minutes.

Iowa 91, Wisconsin 61 (Feb. 15) — Clark was close to another double-double with 24 points and eight assists, and Czinano scored 19 points, hitting 8 of 11 shots.

Iowa 80, Nebraska 60 (Feb. 18) — Clark finished with 30 points and Czinano added 20 in front of a record crowd in Lincoln, Neb.

Maryland 96, Iowa 68 (Feb. 21) — Clark had 18 points and Gabbie Marshall hit a season-high five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points in a lopsided road loss.

Iowa 86, Indiana 85 (Feb. 26) — In an “instant classic,” Clarke nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Iowa a key win in front of a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Clark scored 34 points and had nine rebounds and nine assists. Martin added 19 points and Czinano had 13.

Iowa 69, Purdue 58 (March 3) — In a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal in Minneapolis, Clark scored a game-high 22 points and Czinano finished with 14 points. Marshall hit 3 of 5 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.

Iowa 89, Maryland 84 (March 4) — Marshall continued her late-season surge in the Big Ten semifinals with a season-high 21 points, hitting seven 3-points. Clark had a team-high 22 points and Warnock had 21. Martin nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Iowa 105, Ohio State 72 (March 5) — The Hawkeyes claimed their second straight Big Ten tournament title behind Clark’s triple-double, the first in Big Ten championship-game history. She finished with 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. Czinano hit 11 of 12 shots and scored 26 points.

Iowa 95, Southeastern Louisiana 43 (March 17) — In a first-round NCAA tournament game at sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark notched her 15th double-double of the season, scoring 26 points with 12 assists. Czinano had 22 points and Stuelke 13.

Iowa 74, Georgia 66 (March 19) — Clark picked up her 16th double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 assists. Czinano scored 20 points and had nine rebounds, and Marshall hit 5 of 8 3-pointers for 15 points.

Iowa 87, Colorado 77 (March 24) — In a Sweet 16 regional semifinal in Seattle, Clark scored 31 points, Martin finished with 16 and points and Czinano added 15.

Iowa 97, Louisville 83 (March 26) — Clark came up huge with a Final Four berth on the line in Seattle, recording the 11th triple-double of her career with 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. She is the first player in NCAA tournament history to record a 40-point triple-double. Warnock chipped in with 17 points and Marshall had 14.