By Susan Harman

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The end of a season is always hard, but this time it feels like a sea change for Iowa women’s basketball. That’s because the Hawkeyes are losing three players who’ve played together seemingly forever and who have accomplished more than any other group in Iowa history.

Two-time consensus national Player of the Year Caitlin Clark owns the Iowa record book and a lot of the NCAA’s. She has transformed the sport. Kate Martin, a sixth-year grad student who lost a season to injury and then got one back for Covid-19, and fifth-year Gabbie Marshall, the defensive whiz with a 3-point touch, were leaders who grew into their roles and helped Clark deal with being the greatest player who laced up sneakers.

“Being in the Final Four was my goal, and to be able to accomplish that is something truly special,” Clark said. “Looking back now I think I would just be proud of the way I worked for this moment and earned it. I was in the gym all the time. I matured a lot mentally, physically. People believed in me; people pushed me; people held me accountable, and those are the things that I’m thankful for, and that’s why I’m here right now.”

Clark called the decision to play at Iowa one of the best she’s ever made. She mentioned the fan support she’s received and the opportunity to represent her home state in several ways along with the way. She credited coach Lisa Bluder for giving her free rein to become the player she is.

Iowa won 34 games for the first time in its history. It was in back-to-back national championship games. It won three Big Ten Tournament titles in a row. It sold out its own arena on a season ticket basis and sold out nearly every arena it visited this season.

Marshall played in 166 games for Iowa, a record, and Martin 163. Martin and Clark started 139 games together, the longest streak for a Division I duo in the last 25 years.

“More than anything, our legacy is what we’ve brought to the state of Iowa, I think, and all the joy and fun,” Martin said. “I hear all the time about how many friends people have made in the stands just watching our games.”

“People aren’t going to remember every single win or every single loss,” Clark said. “I think they’re just going to remember the moments that they shared at one of our games or watching on TV or how excited their young daughter or son got about watching women’s basketball.”

Marshall said Clark has really put Iowa women’s basketball on the map.

“Coach Bluder was talking after the game about how (Clark) had a vision, she had a belief and she brought us all with her,” Marshall said. “She got us all to believe and buy in that we all could make the Final Four. Just doing that in back-to-back years shows what belief in the team can do for you and where it can take you because I think that’s going to be the expectation here.”

Marshall said the five years were personally transformative.

“I’ve become a better person, stronger, a better leader,” she said. “My freshman year I struggled to use my voice a little bit. I kind of hid in the shadows. But I think I’ve trusted my own voice, just been a better leader because these people around me have pushed me especially Kate. She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. These people are amazing, and they’ve helped me grow.”

Junior Sydney Affolter will be counted on to help lead next season’s team.

“More than anything, I mean obviously I’m going to miss them on the court, but it’s really the stuff off the court that was going to be the hardest,” Affolter said. “Those are three of my best friends, Molly (Davis) and Sharon (Goodman) included. They’ve made a legacy here in Iowa. They are tremendous.”

Molly Davis, who injured her knee on March 3 against Ohio State and hasn’t played since, got into the game with 20 seconds left. At that point the players were just allowing the clock to run down but she was on the court and made the boxscore.

“It was really cool for coach to give me that opportunity,” Davis said. “To wear that Iowa jersey one more time was really cool.”

Davis transferred two years ago and was a starter this season until the injury.

“It’s a tough injury and takes time to heal and just didn’t have time,” she said.

Now this team will belong to others.

“I told the younger ones, this is your team now,” Clark said. “You guys are ready for these moments. I think that’s one of the biggest things about the seniors that are leaving is we really showed these younger girls what they’re capable of and bought into them every single day. Especially Syd and Hannah (Stuelke) have been incredible all year long.

“This program is in really good hands, whether it’s the girls we have on the team, whether it’s the recruits we have committed, it’s in a really, really good place.”