By Susan Harman

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It was a comet streaking across the sky. Barely visible at first even though its arrival had been predicted. The streak widened and in full flower was a brilliant light crossing the sky. Finally it headed in its intended direction leaving a trail that settled to earth upon all who saw it.

It’s over. But it’s important to understand we had it. We knew enough to marvel, to embrace it to see the wonder of it all. It will be a memory for many to hold close.

But it’s over.

With Iowa’s loss in the NCAA championship the career of the magical Caitlin Clark has come to a close. Was she really here four years? It seems like such a short time now.

We can be reminded by paging through the NCAA and Iowa record books. List after list with her name atop. Career and single-season scoring, assists, double-doubles, triple-doubles, 3-point baskets, championships, two national championship appearances.

There are the “miracle” shots at the end of games against Indiana, Michigan State. The end-of-game free throws that are complete money.

A couple of lucky little girls have a pair of her game-worn shoes, autographed on the spot, to help remember what happened. Others have shirts that were autographed and likely will never see a washing machine. Some may have collected clippings, posters, trading cards.

Some had to subscribe to streaming services they’d never heard of to track her games. Fans who went to games left home so early that they cooled their jets in the parking lot for an hour or more just to avoid crazy traffic. They turned on the heater and waited for the doors of the arena to open.

At other arenas people waited for hours outside in the winter to get the best general admission seats. And likely as not most of those people were wearing No. 22 apparel.

We’ll remember the family from Ohio that sat in the Blue Bird diner, the daughters all in Caitlin Clark garb, who were somehow able to buy tickets for a weekend game in Iowa City as a special treat. And the Swanson family, who moved from Coralville to the D.C. area, whose two girls, Lexi and Annika, got Clark and Kate Martin shirts for Christmas along with tickets to the Iowa-Maryland game.

What we must not forget is what created this phenomenon: the beautiful, free-flowing offense that featured break-neck baskets, open 3-pointers and behind-the-back passes to cutters; the 3-pointers from 4-point distance; the long bounce passes through traffic that ended up as Iowa baskets; the slicing drives to the basket between large bodies bent on mayhem. When it’s flowing it’s Mozart. The anticipation alone that fills Carver-Hawkeye Arena before a big game is palpable.

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay called it “the most exuberant show in sports.” Clark is the ringmaster of the circus on and off the court.

Clark’s brilliance included the ability to bring out the best in teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall. Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock were there for three years, and Sydney Affolter, Hannah Stuelke and Molly Davis came to the fore this year. But she was the constant. She was the draw. She made them better than maybe they had a right to be.

During four years she matured as a player and a leader. She deftly and patiently answered the same questions game after game from reporters who only saw her once.

There used to be a kind of debate held at various IGHSAU events when reporters, coaches and administrators were hanging around. Who was the best? This group was old enough to count the six-player participants in the debate yet saw what was coming year by year. There is no long a debate.

Iowa won’t see her like again. I certainly won’t. But she left a trail for others to breathe in. Sweet dreams are made of this.