By Susan Harman

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It’s been Disneyland here in Iowa City, really for four seasons, but for sure the last two. We’ve been so lucky to personally witness the exploits of the greatest women’s college basketball player and to see what impact she has had on her sport, the state of Iowa and the nation.

Caitlin Clark’s team plays to sellout crowds at home and away. Fans line up for hours outside in the cold to make a rush for a general admission seat that may provide the best chance to admire Clark’s magic. The Hawkeyes are swarmed at their hotels on the road. It’s a traveling circus or something akin to Beatlemania for the small fry hoping against hope to get an autograph or just a glimpse of their heroes.

Women’s basketball merchandise flies off the racks at Raygun and the Hawk Shop. Kate Martin does an ad for a local eatery. Gabbie Marshall goes to area schools to talk to teams. Hannah Stuelke has a near cult following, and her parents are social media superstars.

Hy-Vee grocery stores are shrines to Clark. A cereal with her name sold out in hours. Her State Farm ads are ubiquitous.

Celebrities and pseudo-celebs show up at games.

The area is buzzing in anticipation of the NCAA games this weekend and what could lie ahead for this team. National outlets are flooding their newspapers and websites with stories about Clark and Iowa, which they’ve done all year. The local media are an afterthought when national media outlets ask for and are granted nearly unlimited access and produce 18,000-word tomes.

Take a timeout, though, and consider that this is but one side of the NCAA equation. There are 351 Division I women’s basketball teams. Only 69 are in the so-called Power 5 conferences. That means there’s 282 “others” who work out diligently, get shots up, take care of their grades, stay in shape year-round and dream big dreams.

Nobody stands in line to get tickets to their games. Their names aren’t on clever T-shirts let alone in the grocery aisle. They aren’t interrupted at local restaurants. They do not have “a brand.”

Holy Cross plays the University of Tennessee-Martin at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday night in a First Four game. Holy Cross is a small, select Jesuit institution in Worcester, Mass. Holy Cross counts among its alums Hall of Fame basketball players Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn. But its hoops history in the “modern” era is not quite as illustrious.

 These Crusaders play home games on campus at the Hart Center (3,536 capacity). They’ve drawn an average of 880 fans at home and 650 on the road. They are finishing up their third consecutive 20-win season under coach Maureen Magarity. Magarity came after a successful tenure at New Hampshire, where she was the 2017 Kay Yow coach of the year.

Last season, like this one, Holy Cross won the Patriot League and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth. A year ago the Crusaders were paired with Maryland.

“I think we surprised a lot of people making a run at the end, so we were just, obviously thrilled just to be in the tournament,” Magarity said.

Holy Cross took a bus from Massachusetts to College Park, Md. That’s nearly 400 miles through some of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the country. Not to worry.

“The travel didn’t overshadow what we experienced and how amazing it was to play at Maryland,” Magarity said.

 This year they get a First Four game in Iowa.

 “When we saw that we were coming here, we freaked out because we have seen what Iowa has done for women’s basketball,” sophomore Kaitlyn Flanagan said. “You can truly feel the energy in Iowa City and the respect fans have for the sport. We have been playing basketball our whole lives and have looked up to the big schools that get to play on that level.”

Magarity said even getting on a charter flight was a treat. She called it a reward.

“I can’t put into words how special it’s been just to watch the players, and myself for that matter; I’ve never been on a charter flight,” she said. “My daughters, my parents, they made the trip as well. But just to see their faces boarding the plane, this has been incredible.

“We just went to the locker room. The volleyball locker room is unbelievable. We’re just having the time of our lives right now and really excited to practice here.”

Tuesday night Magarity’s team attended the Iowa men’s NIT game to experience what it was like to sit in the stands.

“And we could see from afar, far across the way in the arena, Caitlin Clark was watching the game, which was pretty cool,” Magarity said. “We’re just taking it all in right now.”

Magarity talked about what an exciting time it is for women’s college basketball and the impact of a player like Clark.

“I have two daughters. They’ve watched more Caitlin Clark games than I have,” she said. “If we’re lucky enough to get to Saturday, I’m going to have my oldest probably help us with the scouting report, to be honest. (Clark’s) changed how the game’s played. She’s made such an impact. It’s a really, really special time.”

The experience of teams like this is every bit as precious and valuable as it is to national title contenders from big state universities. Maybe even more. Clearly these players understand what a privilege it is to play in this tournament, to play before big crowds, to get a chance to show what they can do. They are not influenced by money or fame. Their coaches know their stuff and, while they toil in obscurity, they are molding the next generation of young women leaders.

It’s good to remember that what we have here is special.

Players and coaches like the ones at Holy Cross know that it’s taken decades to reach a point in American culture where women’s basketball is rightly celebrated as worthy of attention. And they’re ready to enjoy the moment. And maybe even beat you.