Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 12, 2019, Dowling High School women’s basketball standout Caitlin Clark committed to Iowa. One of the greatest athletes in Iowa history, Clark created a truly remarkable legacy while starring at Dowling and the University of Iowa.
Born in Des Moines, Clark grew up playing in boys’ recreational leagues due to a lack of opportunities for girls in the area. Early on, Clark was a multisport athlete, playing softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and golf in addition to basketball. Shining brightest on the hardwood, Clark dominated for Dowling High School and the All-Iowa Attack AAU team.
For the Maroons, Clark started to steadily contribute as a freshman while chipping in 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. A Class 5A 3rd-Team All-State selection as a freshman, Clark continued to rise as a sophomore. Averaging 27.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and 2.3 steals, Clark garnered Class 5A 1st-Team All-State and Central Iowa Metro League Player of the Year honors. By the time Clark arrived in Mason City during February of her junior year she ranked as the number four high school prospect in the country. In a 90-78 win, Clark’s 13 3-point makes propelled her to 60 points to come within a point of the state high-scoring mark for 5-on-5 girls basketball set by Abby Roe of Van Buren in 1996. The records, awards, and recognition continued over Clark’s high school career, and she committed to hoop for the Hawkeyes in November of 2019.
At Iowa, Clark became the greatest women’s basketball player in program history while helping lead the Hawkeyes to the top of collegiate women’s basketball. A four-time first-team all-American, Clark also won back-to-back national Player of the Year honors while leading Iowa to back-to-back appearances in the national championship. Also during her senior season, Clark became the Division I women's career and single-season leader in points and three-pointers and broke the all-time conference record in assists, while leading the nation in both points and assists. In 2024, the Indiana Fever selected Clark first overall in the WNBA draft. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
